“Broken Branches is an album I often return to when my thoughts wander, when I am restless. And with the first sounds of the guitar, everything disappears except for outstanding music and pure emotion.”
Our wonderful Marketing & PR Assistant – Ana Teodorović – recommends Broken Branches, by Sean Shibe and Karim Sulayman.
“Broken Branches reaches the deepest emotions that make the listener recognise a deep connection with its history, heritage, and the specific cultural identities in which we grow up.
Ana Teodorović, Marketing & PR Assistant
When I first explored the repertoire from the album, it seemed to me that my understanding was insufficient. The premise of the album is a cultural and artistic exploration of identity, linked to the performers’ heritage. At first, I couldn’t relate; we don’t share the same cultural experiences, I’m not familiar with the repertoire, and I don’t experience it with the same depth as I would with composers from the region I come from. The melody and rhythm are significantly different from the Balkan ones, which, no matter how much I resisted, strike at the core of my identity.
But in this story, there is a big “however.” I didn’t expect this level of identification and emotion after the first listen. Karim’s warm tenor flows in a fluid way and leaves complete peace to float in the air, while Sean Shibe secures that peace with his deeply intimate guitar. Emotions are often associated with a storm, with a mix of diversity and passion, but achieving emotion in peace and silence is incredibly difficult. Li Beirut makes us momentarily close our eyes and pause in deep tranquility.
Broken Branches is an album I often return to when my thoughts wander, when I am restless. And with the first sounds of the guitar, everything disappears except for outstanding music and pure emotion.”
