One of the nicknames of the four islands comprising the Comoros - floating between continental Africa and Madagascar - is the "Islands of the Moon." While this writer has never seen this geography himself, one would guess by the lightly dexterous fingers and slightly gritty, melodically beautiful vocals of native Nawal that this could be true. Apparently the moon is not without politics, however, and Nawal considers herself to be the first Comoros female to appear in public playing an instrument. That oud-like guitar called the gambusi also admits underlying tendencies of the Moroccan guimbri, which makes sense, as both folk musics rely on repetitious chanting and rhythms to create a trance-inducing state. The other connection arises from Nawal's devotion to Shadhiliya Sufism, where music and ritual amount to one and the same. But really, it is her voice that captivates. The near eight-minute "Ode a Marouf," dedicated to her Sufi grandfather, is heartbreaking in its reflective insistences upon Allah, over and over. Same for the aptly titled "Meditation," featuring a thumb piano and the song includes Muslim and Buddhist chanting. Not all songs are slow, as the smooth bass line underlying "Salama," a song quoting the Hadith's philosophy on universal beauty, offers a bit of headnodding. The hips get involved during the very danceable "L'Amour Sorcier," with light hints at the more ubiquitous dance musics of African highlife and guitar-driven songs. Only she uses simple percussion techniques and that unique crooning to drive this homage to the late French singer Claude Nougaro. Whatever direction each song is pointed, it all points back to devotion, a quality Aman may well inspire in every listener that chances to hear it. We can only hope that number is many.

By DB