Goran Kajfeš Subtropic Arkestra & Avin Omar

One problem with posting your listening habits on a periodically updated Now page is that those habits can literally change overnight. A couple of days ago, I updated my Now page, only to get deeply into a Swedish jazz EP very shortly after.

Though this new 3-song Bandcamp-only EP is from Western Europe, it couldn't sound more Eastern. The time signatures borrow heavily from Eastern musical traditions. By far the biggest Eastern sounding element, though, are the vocals from Kurdish-Swedish singer Avin Omar, which are absolutely gorgeous. Heavily textured and rich with emotion, Omar's voice adds authenticity and weight to the recording.

From the Bandcamp description:

The set of three tracks features the original compositions "Desmala Min" and "Monsoon", latter with lyrics penned by the Iraqi Kurdish poet, Şêrko Bêkes (1940-2013). Additionally, the band & Omar tackle the re-arranged traditional composition "Sulemani" to epic effect. Avin Omar shines all the way through as the brilliant soloist of this set, leaving the listener to long for more.

As the text continues, you can always hit "play" again. I have been doing just that.