Ismuka

Sung in Arabic, the lyrics read like a whispered prayer: “Do you hear me, my love? In the dark, I chant your name like a secret prayer, after we have no faith left.”
The second prelude of Mamars upcoming debut album ” Ismuka” is a slow meditation on loss and longing in which Arabic folk influences are carefully placed in a spacious harmonic environment in a classical rhythmic 10/8 Semai pattern.

Ismuka features an intimate arrangement of voice, oud, clarinet, double bass, piano, and drums—carrying a sense of stillness, melancholy, and emotional weight.

This ensemble from Syria, Turkye, Usa and Netherlands invites the listener to slow down, breathe, and sit with the quiet echoes of heartbreak. This release continues the ensemble’s signature sound in which Arabic makam flavours are placed in jazz influenced compositions.
The upcoming album is a transformational journey, portraying the different fases of grief.

Leah Reina Uijterlinde Voice / Clarinet
Talal Fayad Oud
Barış Ofluoğlu Double bass
Panayiotis Hadjithomas Drums
Sebastiaan West Piano