Azerbaijan: A Timeless Presence is a tribute, woven of mystical poetry and music arising from the depths of memory, to a land whose spirit stands outside of time. The music was composed, arranged and directed by Sami Yusuf for the Opening Ceremony of the 43rd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Baku in June 2019. With fifty-seven highly skilled musicians under his direction, Sami Yusuf makes full use of the complex musical language of traditional modal systems to create a narrative in sound. The album features traditional instruments including the tar, the kamancha, and the haunting sound of the balaban. Running through every piece is a thread connecting past to present to future. In honouring the rich legacy of Azerbaijan, the composer celebrates all those traditions that still find their visionary expression in the unique artistic languages of the peoples who embody them.

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