promoting the works of Paul and Jane Bowles in the written, musical and theatre forms visited by people who like Paul Bowles from more than 119 countries about sound media and graphics on this website Copyright Notice All content on this page is the research work of The International Paul Bowles Society and has previously been published in our printed publications The International Paul Bowles Society, ©2000 Paul Bowles Various Recordings on LP, Tape and CD 'The Voices of Paul Bowles' Tape Cassette The celebrated expatriate composer, translator, and author reads 'Allal' and other stories from his home in Morocco. Also includes early music compositions and field recordings of traditional Moroccan music by Bowles. As usual, an extraordinary collection of spoken word and music. Side 1: 1. Le Coran Cheikh,2. Allal 3. Reh Dial Beni Bouhiya Side 2: 1. 'Music for a Farce,' 2. Points in Time IV 3. Oukha Dial Kheir, 4. Interlude (conversations in the Rif Hotel and Prelude #2) 5.The Garden 6. Aouda Trio 7. Secret Words 8. Points in Time XI please click here to hear some 'Jilala: Sufi Trance Music From Morocco' Available on CD and LP - Mystic Fire Video This recording was made by Paul Bowles and Brion Gysin during a trance ritual in Tangier in 1965. The Jilala is an order of dervish musicians known for their practice of trance dancing and spiritual healing. They are called upon to exorcise evil spirits and to purify the heart. The Jilala are particularly useful in curing cases of epilepsy and hysteria, controlling the spirits or demons in possession of the subject through their music and the ritualized gestures of the dance. But mainly the dances are dances of exaltation. At the very peak of intensity special acts are done as part of the dance. Slashing arms and legs with sharp knives, or laying down hard with a heavy belt on an extended forearm or across the back are an accepted part of the ritual. During the first selection on the second side of this recording Farato, the fire-eater, drank a kettle of boiling water, eliciting from the women a wild burst of yu-yus." The instruments used are the shebaba, a long transversal cane flute, which leads the way; the bendir, a handheld drum; and the karkabat which is a double castanet made of metal. On this record there are usually three flutes, six drums, and one pair of castanets. Paul Bowles writes in a short story, 'The Wind at Beni Midar': 'A Jilali can do only what the music tells him to do. When the musicians play the music that has the power, his eyes shut and he falls on the floor. And until the man has shown the proof and drunk his own blood the musicians do not begin the music that will bring him back to the world.' So now we know - did we hear somebody say that the '60's were weird? 'Black Star at the Point of Darkness' CD Psalmodia Sub Rosa (Belgium) Frederic Walheer and Guy Marc, 1990. Recorded by Randall Barnwell and James Laugelli. One of the best Paul Bowles CDs available. 1. Sounds from the Djem el Fna, Marrakech, Morocco 2. 'Here I am' (poem) Click here to hear 3. 'The Empty Amulet ' (story) 4. Qsbah Solo by Zaan of the Jilala de Tanger. (rec. PB c. 1978) 5. 'An Inopportune Visit' (story) 6. Music in the village of Amara (rec. PB c. 1960)7. 'The Successor' (story). 8. Six Preludes for Piano 9. 'Nights' (poem) 'The StoryTeller and the Fisherman' CD Mohammed Mrabet, translated and narrated by Paul Bowles, Psalmodia Sub Rosa (as above)1990. Cover Artwork by Mrabet. A collection of stories, music and recordings from Tangier, 03-04/1990. Recorded by Randall Barnwell and James Laugelli. The art of the Moroccan storyteller is captured here on this 14 track CD recording of some of Mrabet's stories, some gnawa and jilala music and incidental sounds from various places in Morocco. A nice collection. © Randall Barnwell, 1990 'Morocco: Crossroads of Time' CD usually not available, but check sometimes excellent CD, with a beautiful hardback book insert contains 2 tracks recorded by Paul Bowles - tracks *2 and *7, recorded in Mrabet's apartment 1. Fez Medina [Ambient Sounds] 2. *Bitaine Hamdane [Excerpt] 3. You Left Without Talking to Me 4. Sidi Musa 5. Marrakesh Medina 6. Darba del Hamemi 7. *Achir Bemecharin [Excerpt] 8. Teremida [Guedra] 9. Sidi Ghurami/Sidi Hamuda [Ganawa] 10. Mulana 11. Just Tell Me the Truth 12. Bledi 'Haiti Dances' 10" LP (1953) Recorded by Paul Bowles and Nicky Peters in Petionville and Port-au-Price, Haiti in 1952 Side 1: 1) Nan Guinan 2) Daughu 3) Eh Loue 4) Çousin Side 2: 1) Housni Canzo 2) Dambala 3) Kimbalagh 4) Three Drums 5) Nan Guinan Paul Bowles wrote to John Edmund's from New York, January 29, 1947: 'Your letter December tenth come to me six weeks late, because I had gone to the West Indies. I have not seen De Spirito, nor anyone who knows anything about the projected concerts'. It was during this time that the above 'Haiti Dances' was recorded in Haiti. 'Music of Morocco' 2 x 12"LPs From the Archive of Folk Song, ©Library of Congress (Recording Laboratory,) C1-272/73 also AFS L63-L64, 1972. Two LPs in Gatefold cover, with 8 page booklet. Record 1: 'Highlands' Record 2: Lowlands - Influent strains. This music was recorded, along with Christopher Wanklyn and Mohammed Larbi, in 1959. Paul Bowles was paid to record this music and thus received a grant from the Rockerfeller Foundation which allowed him to travel Morocco extensively, over a 5 month period recording Moroccan Berber, Sahara tribal and Gnawaa music into his tape recorder, and all of this music is now archived in the US Library of Congress. These LPs include music of the Rif Berbers, from Tetuoan, Nador, Taza, and also music from the south of Morocco, from the pre-Sahara regions of south west Morocco, (note: the Jewish music mentioned above was also part of the same USLC project.) Please click here to listen to a small sample. Paul went back 5 or 6 years later to get some more, with Brion Gysin (see 'Jilala', above.) The Paul Bowles book 'Their Heads are Green and Their Hands are Blue' gives an account of the group's travels in the Rif {'The Rif - to Music'} while finding and recording this music. Please click here for more details on the inventory of this music. Update: November 2002: There is now a new release of some of the Paul Bowles recorded Music of Morocco available on CD. Please click here to find out more. 'Sacred Music of the Moroccan Jews' CD (Rounder 2000 [ROUN5087] from the Paul Bowles Collection ©USLoC & Rounder Records) Originally released on 2 x LP records. In 1959 Paul Bowles, in Morocco, recorded a wide variety of music from the different ethnic groups of that country, including the Jewish communities of Meknes and Essaouira. These recordings include a live service for the conclusion of the Sabbath that affords the listener the opportunity to experience the content and atmosphere of a Maghrebi synagogue albeit one reflecting the winds ofchange then underway among Moroccan Jews. This 2 CD set presents that service, as well as additional recordings of Andalusian Hebrew music. Edited by Edwin Seroussi, with the assistance of Rabbi Meir Atiya, one of the leading authorities and performers of Moroccan Jewish religious music in Israel today, these CDs present a rare glimpse into one of the most venerable Jewish musical traditions. Please click here to listen to a small sample. Recommended Paul Bowles music on CD Back to Music Index Home Dedicated to the life and work of Paul and Jane Bowles ©The International Paul Bowles Society, 2000