National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

In his composition of SUERTE, Abed Azrié tried to evoke the energy of what is known in Spanish as duende and in the Arab world as tarab – an expression born of Judeo, Christian, and Arabian gypsies which describes the process by which the body is completely taken over by the energy of the music. In search of the Andalusian soul, two voices and two languages combine over Arabian, Flamenco, and Western instrumental styles - the fusion of modern with eternal, a celebration of dance, joy, and women. For the lyrics, Abed has selected a series of exquisite eleventh century Andalusian poems, or wuwwashahat that utilise a multi-metrical style developed in Spain around the ninth century – a contemporary form of the western medieval troubadours' verse which preserve their precursors delicate themes. They rejoice in cultural duality and seek to transcend the senses through music. From the immortal territories of the Mediterranean, the rich tones of Abed Azrie 's voice over the Arabian violins, Flamencan guitars, and classic contrabass serve to create a rich tapestry of musical textures; the result is an uplifting and timeless soundscape.

— CalabashMusic.com