Treat yourself to OASIS, Mediterranean inspired music featuring the soulful and sensuous sounds of the duduk, an Armenian wind instrument made from apricot wood, the oud, a stringed instrument like a Middle-Eastern lute, and the violin. Although he is accomplished on the guitar, piano and many stringed instruments, for OASIS, Michael chose not to play any of the instruments on this CD. Instead, the composed the haunting and hypnotic compositions and assembled a talented cast of world-class musicians to perform them including Yuval Ron on the oud, George Hamad on violin and Norik Manovkian on the duduk.
FROM THE MUSICIAN:
I grew up in a home surrounded by music. My parents treasured music and encouraged us to learn about music from a variety of cultural and ethnic heritages. For almost as long as I have been playing music, I have been curious about and interested in non-western musical instruments, particularly acoustic stringed instruments. The challenge with OASIS was to bring to life the exotic and mystical sounds of these wonderful instruments, yet still maintain a peaceful and meditative tempo with soothing instrumentation. --- Michael Benghiat, author, musician, composer
REVIEWS: Inspired by the natural beauty of the magnificent California coastline, multi- instrumentalist Michael Benghiat created the AT PEACE® series of music albums, which pair soothing acoustic instrumentation with light, flowing melodies. Featuring minimalist compositions performed on the violin and oud with a spattering of duduk beats distributed throughout, the music of OASIS provides listeners with an atmosphere of peace and mysticism, based on the sounds of the Mediterranean region. The album includes four extended length tracks totaling one hour of serenity – perfect for a massage session or healing arts practices in the home.
Running time: 59.48 minutes