On this astonishingly eclectic, breathtaking, and avant-garde 1995 studio album, legendary Balkan-Turkish vocal pioneer Yıldız İbrahimova delivers a high-fidelity masterclass in the absolute limits of the human voice. Appropriately titled Voice Of Rainbow, this rare release on the Turkish Raks Müzik imprint showcases İbrahimova’s staggering four-octave range and her peerless command over free improvisation, ethno-jazz, and classical avant-garde architectures. Backed by a brilliant, highly responsive Bulgarian jazz ensemble—featuring pianist Anthony Donchev, bassist Dimitar Sanov, drummer Hristo Yotsov, and woodwind master Youlian Yanusev—the album is a fearless, border-breaking journey. The tracklist is an incredible kaleidoscope, masterfully twisting from classical works by Bach and Mozart to radical vocal jazz readings of George Gershwin's "The Man I Love," complex Balkan odd-meter folklore like "Dilmano Dilbero," and haunting Turkish folk anthems like "Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım." This pristine recording remains a towering, essential document of modern vocal gymnastics and cross-cultural jazz innovation.

Christina Pluhar and l'Arpeggiata invite you on a musical cruise that will take you from Portugal to Turkey, following the coasts of Spain, Catalonia, Greece, and Italy, caressed by the rocking of the waves and the captivating dialogue between traditional plucked instruments of the Mediterranean region the qanun, saz, Greek lyre and lavta, the oud and Portuguese guitar and the Baroque strings of l'Arpeggiata.

After 1683, when Polish troops saved Vienna from a Turkish siege, Turkey was no longer a threat to Western Europe and became a symbol of the mysterious Orient. For European musicians, however, Turkey was less nebulous, as Turkish instruments (including drums, cymbals, and triangles) entered the European orchestra and composers emulated the sound of the Turkish military band. A charming introduction to eighteenth century musical Orientalism in Europe, this album features exquisite performances by Concerto Köln and Sarband, a traditional Turkish ensemble. The opening track, a scintillating rendition of the overture for Mozart's Oriental opera Die Entfuhrung as dem Serail, features traditional Turkish percussion that adds zest to the performance.