Omar Souleyman returns with new album, ‘Erbil', shares single: Listen
'Erbil' takes its name from and pays homage to the Iraqi city that Souleyman now calls home
Omar Souleyman has announced a new album, 'Erbil', and shared its first single. You can listen to 'Rahat Al Chant Ymme' below.
Spanning eight songs, the release marks the Syrian singer turned dabke-techno artist's fifth LP, and his second for the Mad Decent label.
'Erbil' takes its name from and pays homage to the Iraqi city that Souleyman now calls home, having relocated there from Turkey, where he had lived since the outbreak of the civil war in his Syrian homeland. The new record is described as a celebration of the experiences and new friendships he has made since arriving in this city, making for a resolutely celebratory listen.
His longtime collaborator, the keyboard player Hasan Jamo alo, once again features on this album. Together, the pair are renowned for combining traditional dabke sounds with more contemporary synthesised music, establishing Souleyman — who spent his formative career as a wedding singer, and is thought to have released over 500 live recordings during that time — as a pioneer of a unique crossover sound.
The new album follows the release of 2019's 'Shlon' and 2017's 'From Syria With Love'. Souleyman has also previously collaborated with artists including Four Tet and Björk.
'Erbil' will be released on 29th March.
Prior to his arrival in Iraq, the artist had been arrested on accusations of terrorism. All charges were subsequently dropped.
