{"id":594,"date":"2009-07-12T20:52:44","date_gmt":"2009-07-13T03:52:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/?p=594"},"modified":"2013-10-03T14:09:51","modified_gmt":"2013-10-03T21:09:51","slug":"aminareviewhenkesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2009\/07\/12\/aminareviewhenkesh\/","title":{"rendered":"Pulse of the Sphinx, Drum Solos by the Masters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Volume 1: The Henkesh Brothers<\/h2>\n

\"Henkesh\"<\/p>\n

CD Reviewed by Amina Goodyear<\/a>
\nposted July 12, 2009<\/span><\/h3>\n

Khamis Henkesh<\/span> was the first drummer of the Henkesh Brothers<\/span> to be well known in America. Through dance and musician friends we heard that he was considered to be one of the top drummers in Egypt. But it was mostly through his records and later cassettes that came to us in the late 1970s and 1980s that we were able to know him and his drumming. Since stories of his drumming preceded his albums, it was a thrill to finally be able to purchase and own some of his music. And great music it was and still is.<\/p>\n

His albums were not just one drum solo after another. They were not only very Egyptian in sound; they were also very Western in composition and utilized not only the finest drumming and traditional arrangements, but also some of the most innovative and original electronic sounds of the time. The \u201870s introduced the electric guitar and the electric keyboard and synthesizer to Arabic music and Khamis was right there with Omar Khorshid<\/span> (electric guitar) and Hani Mahana<\/span> (org) inventing new sounds to be melded in with the traditional acoustical Arabic sounds. <\/p>\n

This was the decade of change and Khamis was a visionary.<\/p>\n

Several years ago Yasmin<\/a>, now of Washington D.C., created Sands of Time-Soul of Beled Music<\/i><\/strong> to share the wonderful sounds of Egypt with her students and with other lovers of Arabic music. This was the beginning of many musical collaborations with her friends Sayed<\/span> and Khamis Henkesh<\/span>. As I had become a fan of master drummer Khamis Henkesh, I was ready for whatever else he had to offer.\u00a0 I clearly remember reading about Yasmin\u2019s collaborations with the Henkesh family and the planned CDs and I anxiously waited for their release. I must admit that I am definitely a fan of hers and of all her CDs as they have always been more than I wished for. Pulse of the Sphinx<\/i> is a fine example of this. And with Pulse of the Sphin<\/i>x I was introduced to more members of the Henkesh family, producer Sayed and drummers Ramadan<\/span> and Reda<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Pulse of the Sphinx<\/i> is not just a drum CD, it is a lesson in Egyptian thought, mentality, reasoning, dancing, music and, of course, drumming. Yasmin is an educator who subtly uses entertaining as her vehicle.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to write and analyze this CD track by track as I have the three preceding CDs because it is too Egyptian to analyze. <\/p>\n