By Bob Tarte

I doubt that there's much of a Gypsy presence on the Comoros Islands of the Indian Ocean. But Nawal's Aman (Nawali.com) relies on a similar amalgam of Indian, Arab and European vocal styles, but with the added plus of African influences, including the mbira on "Meditation" and the backing vocals throughout the cd. Nawal brandishes a big voice, and she knows how to use it, effortlessly dominating the sparse arrangements with her trio that suggest Middle Eastern Suti music. Grabbing repetitious melodic figures between her teeth on "Salama," she twists, shortens and elongates them, yodeling, ululating and otherwise signifying as she strives to root the listener to the eternal present moment. The occasional English lyric pops out of the French and local language mix: "too much pollution," she sings on "Narizambe," or "there is nothing that is not God," she tells us on "Meditation." If her seriousness crosses the line into piousness, and her original vocal approach sometimes stoops to platitudes, Aman is still a compelling listen.