Looking at the press release for Shye Ben-Tzur, I encountered the terms Rajasthani funk and Sufi Qawwali. Now, I'm not going to lie to you. I am not an expert in these particular genres of music. So why am I reviewing this album? Well, sometimes you just have to give something a try because it is so different than anything you have in your collection. I mean, an Israeli singing traditional Muslim music? (And no, that is not the beginning of a joke.) How could I possibly pass that up?

It doesn't take long to get the funk influence. The second song "Dil Ke Bahar" has some definitely funky rhythms. But it has much more than that. This song is layer upon layer of sound, including clapping which is not just background, but another part of the rhythm of the song.

Loyal reader, one of the things I like most about music is that it is a universal language. Now, I don't understand any of the lyrics on this album. However, I don't need to understand the lyrics to feel the sort of devotional aspect of this music. Ben-Tzur definitely feels what he sings. But don't just take my word for it. Listen to "Dar e Yar" and "Sovev." You can just feel the spiritual nature of the song in the delivery of the lyrics. 

If you really want to branch out and try something different, Shoshan (EarthSync, 2010) is a great start. These are incredibly well-crafted songs with layers of sounds that come together seamlessly. You may not understand the lyrics, but that doesn't mean you won't feel the music. In fact, that would be my advice. Just put this album on and feel the music. Shoshanis available everywhere tomorrow.