The brain-child of renowned ethnomusicologist, percussionist, composer, gamelan director, and book author Michael Bakan (michaelbakan.com), Omnimusica also features the talents of Trinidadian steel drum phenom Mia Gormandy, Peruvian guitarist Carlos Odria, trombonist Waldron Dunkley, saxophonist Andrew Stanley, bassist David Cobb, and vocalist Katelyn Best. The band originally emerged from the creative cauldron of the Florida State University College of Music's outstanding world music performance program (which Bakan directs). Transcending specific genres and traditions while blending and bending together a myriad of diverse musical styles--from klezmer and takht to Bulgarian gypsy wedding band music, calypso, salsa, reggae, and rumba-flamenco--Omnimusica has developed a sound all its own, bringing a truly worldly approach to the enterprise of "world music": danceable, virtuosic, incessantly grooving, spiritually uplifting, and ever joyful. This album, "Ashrei," brings the band's signature virtuosity and profusely intercultural palette to Bakan's innovative settings of six ancient Hebrew prayers from the Jewish liturgy: a can't-sit-still rumba-flamenco spin on "Ashrei"; a hard-driving, Tito Puente-esque take on "Mi Chamocha"; a hauntingly beautiful version of the prayer for peace, "Shalom Rav," set in the 10-beat metric mode of sama'i thaqil; a sing-alongable, joyous reggae romp on "Oseh Shalom"; a wild, Macedonian-inspired rendition of the prayer of gratitude "Shehecheyanu" (in a meter of 33/16!); and a salsified fantasia on the text of "Sh'ma Yisrael" that moves through meters of 20, 21, 7, 9 (and finally 4) amidst screaming monkey sounds and... well, you just have to hear it! The additional track is David Cobb's alternately scintillating and moving "Kirkni Serinoush," with lyrics in Armenian, which offers a fitting complement to the six original Hebrew prayer settings by Bakan. TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS: ASHREI (Music by Michael Bakan; traditional Hebrew prayer text) Ashrei yoshvei vei'techa, ode yehalelucha Selah. Ashrei ha'am shekacha lo, ashrei ha'am she'Ado-nai Elo-hav. (Tehilah l'David) Happy are those who dwell in Your house; may they always praise You, Selah! Happy are the people for whom this is so; happy are those whose God is Adonai. (A psalm of praise by David.) MI CHAMOCHA (Music by Michael Bakan; traditional Hebrew prayer text) Mi chamocha, ba'elim, Adonai? Mi kamocha, nedar bakodesh Nora tehilot, osei feleh? Who is like you, Adonai, among other gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, Awesome in praises, doing miracles? SHALOM RAV (Music by Michael Bakan; traditional Hebrew prayer text) Shalom rav al Yisrael amcha tasim l’olam, ki atah hu Melech Adon l’chol hashalom. V’tov b’einecha l’vareich et amcha Yisrael b’chol eit uv’chol sha'ah bish’lomecha. Grant abundant peace to Israel Your people forever, for You are the Sovereign God of all peace. May it be pleasing to You to bless Your people Israel in every season and moment with Your peace. OSEH SHALOM (Music by Michael Bakan; traditional Hebrew prayer text) Oseh shalom bimromav hu ya'aseh shalom aleynu v'al kol yisrael v'imru amen He who makes peace in His high places He shall make peace upon us and upon all of Israel, and let us say, Amen. SHEHECHEYANU (Music by Michael Bakan; traditional Hebrew prayer text) Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehechehyanu, v'kiy'manu, v'higianu laz'man hazeh. Blessed are You, Adonai, Sovereign of all For giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season. KIRKNI SERINOUSH (Music and English text by David Cobb; translation to Armenian by Danny Bedrosian) Seri, Seri, Seri, Serinoush ur e dzer zhpity ? ur e dzer passion? Arrajin dzer tkhur ach’k’yery ev T’uyl tal, vor arevy hamburel dzer unk Seri, Seri, Seri, Serinoush Where is your smile? Where is your passion? Cover your sad eyes And let the sun kiss your brow. SH'MA YISRAEL (Music by Michael Bakan; traditional Hebrew prayer text) Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad. [Baruch Shem kevod malkhuto l'olam va'ed.] Hear, O Israel: Adonai our God, Adonai is One. (Blessed is God's glorious majesty forever and ever.) CREDITS: Katelyn Best, vocals Mia Gormandy, steelpan Andrew Stanley, soprano saxophone Waldron Dunkley, trombone Carlos Odria, guitar David Cobb, bass Michael Bakan, percussion and vocals Deborah Bish, clarinet (on “Shalom Rav”) Jaime Santana, vocals (on “Oseh Shalom”) Recorded by Jaime Santana Mixed and mastered by Chandler Bridges Produced by Michael Bakan Co-produced by Chandler Bridges, with assistance from Jaime Santana Graphic design by Michelle Jones Special thanks to the Florida State University College of Music Copyright 2014, B. Bakantime (BBT) Productions