Khabat Abas
Manara
Manara is a trio that emerged from a love of poetry, a shared interest in the musical traditions of the Middle East and poetry as political resistance. The musicians had worked together before separately – Alya and Khabat performed together in Suleimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan as part of the Space 21 Festival, and Alya and Pat have improvised together in several ensembles over the past decade.
Alya had arrived at a time where she was desperate to explore the performance of more poetry in her mother …
Tapsalteerie, Depicted in Echo
*100 copies limited edition* Confront Recordings announces the release of Tapsalteerie, Depicted in Echo, a mesmerizing duet between Kurdish cellist Khabat Abas and Scottish improviser Ivor Kallin. Captured in the resonant hush of live performance, this album weaves ancient strings into ethereal echoes, where tradition fractures into boundless invention.
Abas's cello—rich with microtonal bends and nomadic grit—collides with Kallin's viola. What emerges is a tapestry of taps, scrapes, and shimmer…