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Music Monday: SHUSMO
Sarah Esterman
August 22nd, 2011
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The band SHUSMO is aptly named. That the band’s music is heavily influenced by Middle-Eastern style is clear within the first few seconds of listening to one of their songs, and yet the exact genre is difficult to nail down. There’s definitely some jazz inspiration in there, as well as some elements of funk and maybe even classical music. And the word ‘shusmo,’ in Arabic, according to NPR Music, is a word for something whose name you can’t remember. Sort of like the English “whatchamacallit.”
The New York-based band is led by Palestininan-born Tareq Abboushi and as you can probably tell by the video above, their msuic is heavily influenced by his roots. In a press release on SHUSMO’s website, Abboushi said:
“What I’m working towards is an alternative Arabic music. Now, you’re either sitting listening to classical music or you’re dancing to pop in a club. And there’s too little in between,” Abboushi reflects. “We need something that works like Stevie Wonder, that has soul and musicality and that you can also move to.”
SHUSMO’s latest album, released this past June, is Mumtastic.
08/22/11 >> go there