Fraternal talens bring the world to tucson

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Hear music from five corners of the world from the five Brothers of Baladi Friday on campus and later at the Rialto Theatre.

"World Beat?" "Brothers of the Baladi?" It was a mystery to me too, and I would still be ignorant of this band and musical genre had it not been for the inundation of press releases dropped in my lap announcing their arrival. Throwing out more superlative adjectives than a world-series pitcher throws balls, these announcements were more than enough to pique my interest. "Exotic," "spectacular," "sizzling," and (my personal favorite) "infectiously danceable" with "urgent grooves" were just some of the praises of this five-member band.

To start my investigation I grabbed their latest album "Heart of the Beast" determined to judge for myself. The most impressive achievement of the Brothers is the sheer variety of their musical styles. "World Beat" seems to be the most accurate moniker for what they produce, as so many cultural sounds are represented in their music. Many of the songs have a strong Middle Eastern flavor to them. "Train Song (Tiren Gelit)" is a beautiful and mysterious piece sung in Turkish and English by the band's leader, Michael Beach. "Bir Demet Yasemen," also sung in Turkish, evokes images of wafting incense smoke and beautiful veiled bellydancers.

Going to different areas of the earth, the Brothers give us "Country Boy," a very upbeat Irish folksong, and "Where Does the Wiseman Go?" a tune with strong reggae roots and a few African samplings.

This is true "alternative" music. Beach and the other Brothers play not only with respect for these cultures but also with a sense of celebration for these sounds. The result is a very high-energy collection of songs dramatically different from each other, graced with a level of talent never heard on alternative radio. This is completely original music and, I admit it, "infectiously danceable."

Friday, the Brothers start their day at noon on the U of A Mall where they will be playing and hosting a music workshop until 1 p.m. At 7 p.m. they will be giving a concert in Social Sciences, Room 100. Sponsored by the Eye on Diversity Committee, both of these events are free of charge.

At 10 p.m. the Brothers head over to The Rialto Theater for an all-ages concert and dance performance. Eleven local bellydancers will be moving to the groove of the music, demonstrating traditional Lebanese, Turkish, Gypsy and folkloric Arabic dance. It should test the talent of both band and dancer as much of this concert will be strictly improvisational. Very little of the dancer's repertoire is choreographed, relying on the individual interpretations of the dancers. Much of the music as well will be improvisational, including the drum solos and taqsim, slow instrumental pieces interspersed within the selections.

And those who feel the infection germinating in their soul should fear not. The Brothers of the Baladi are leaving plenty of time for the audience to do a little improvisation of their own. This will be an extremely high-energy show so be prepared to dance hard. Tickets are $12.00 in advance and $14.00 at the door, antibiotics not included. Call 790-0401 for more information.