RIP Hamza El Din

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I'm sure Rockist Scientist will be able to say much more. All I know so far is that he died yesterday in Berkeley.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

RIP. listening suggestions beyond the fantastic El Escalay?

― Ghost Bear Junior High Attendance Party (echoinggrove), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

RIP.

(Ned, you're making me feel like I'm at a funeral for someone I hardly knew and wasn't close to, but that I've now been asked to give the eulogy for. But it's okay, someone else will probably volunteer to say more.)

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

Heh. Sorry about that but you were the first name that came to mind.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 14:23 (nineteen years ago)

RIP. listening suggestions beyond the fantastic El Escalay?

I really like Eclipse but it's the only one I know, so it might not be a good example of his larger body of work.

― max (maxreax), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 14:43 (nineteen years ago)

oh no, this is a bummer. i was just talking the other day with a friend about "el escalay" and how i saw him in chicago once, and how great it was. rip.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 16:44 (nineteen years ago)

RIP. I caught him last year at BAM...he was enchanting, and I'm not sure I've ever used that word before.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 22:09 (nineteen years ago)

HAMZA EL DIN came to Berkeley after working with the Grateful Dead in Egypt along time ago. Once in California he collaberated with SANDY BULL. Hashish and Oud was how the time was spent. In the past decade he contiued playing Oud and his final concerts were given with a cellist from Kronos, who has a fatigue syndrome, but still breathed amazing light into her playing. I never saw this Oud/Cello combo, but I imagine the organizers of these events made audio recordings. If they didn't, it confirms that we as a culture have no traits of Progression what-so-ever.

His first recording SONGS FROM NUBIA is a classic, a raw feel of Egyptian Oud traditions.

A friend of mine was his god-daughter, and she tells that he was always full of inspiring thoughts and Love. His smile always sent a radiant glow to the receiver.

― FROM A MESA, Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:03 (nineteen years ago)

Lovely story. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:08 (nineteen years ago)

I saw Hamza El Din solo about six/seven months back at the First Unitarian Church in SF. The location and acoustics were perfect, and he blew my mind wide open. I had never heard him before. Maybe this sounds cliche, but the music definitely like it was coming from somewhere that few musicians I know of can go to/channel/evoke (if that makes any sense). It was just really intense. He even fused a little blues into a couple compositions.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:14 (nineteen years ago)

six years pass...

Been into this guy a lot lately. Beyond the stuff with the Dead in Egypt and the records mentioned upthread, any more tips? Were any of his collabs with Sandy Bull released anywhere? I know very little Sandy Bull despite owning about six of his records. All I remember is that I like the very weird Demolition Derby and I really like the stuff he did with Billy Higgins (the ones called "Blend?"). But I can't say I've heard any of those in years...

― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Wednesday, 10 October 2012 02:25 (thirteen years ago)

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