Soobia

Sary and Ayad Khalifé, Lebanon's sibling composers and multi-instrumentalists, are no strangers to alchemy. Their knack for breaking down conventions was apparent on Naseej, a 2015 collaborative effort with singer-songwriter Mike Massy. But on the brothers’ sophomore effort, Soobia, they hit their stride in full, majestic force, adorning traditional Eastern compositions with subtle classical and jazz overtones. Sary's emotive cello lines on the "Land of the Lost Nomads" opener set a tone that leads to the eight-minute title track, an opus that aptly takes its name from the slow-burning cast iron stove.