GREAT GROUPS OF
WORLD MUSIC
WORLD MUSIC SPECIAL: The group Atlal
Atlal is a rather strange name for a music-group. The name is the title of one of the best known songs of the legendary Egyptian singer Oum Kalsoum.
The duo Atlal
The group started as a duo formed by Mohamed el-Fers and Lida Bakker (cousin of Dutch Eurovison-contest-winner
Lenny Kuhr) in Haarlem, the Netherlands in the early 1970's, when El-Fers played in about the same time in the formation Tiq Maya and the group Medina.
After leaving the Turin-based formation Medina, Mohamed el-Fers reunited again with Lida Bakker as duo. The first concerts were on the Italian island of Sicily. They played several gigs at the Polipo in Città del Mare-Perla del Golfo, Terrasini near Trapani, PA. A year later we find the duo as group in Istanbul.
The Goup Atlal
According to an article
in Hürriyet (13 August 1977) the group gave a series of successful open-air-concerts
in the historic area of Istanbul (Sultanahmet). ATLAL is formed, beside
Mohamed and Lida, by Turkish percussionist Askin Genceler, Canadian drummer
John Faithful and singer guitarist Marleen (named Meryem in the article), the 16 years old sister
of Lida.
Brother Paul Bakker would join the group for some weeks that summer. Daily Hürriyet wrote that this line-up toured Turkey and played in Konya, Mersin and Selifke, before returning to Istanbul for concert in the Rumelikavak Sariyar, Lunapark Casino etc. On the picture in Hürriyet from left to right: Mohamed el-Fers, Lida Bakker, Meryem Bakker and a part of the head of Askin Genceler.
On the picture Marleen and Mohamed with some young fans just before the Atlal concert in the Istanbul Rumelikavak Sariyer (Elmaskum Plas).
The next year we find the group in Iran.
According an article by Jean Marie Lebon in the Journal de Teheran in 1978 the group played in the Shekoveh Now of Teheran, in a show with the great Iranian singer Gougoush.
Later that year same year, back in Istanbul, Lida, Mohamed and Askin hit the headlines as they get busted during a policeraid in their hotel. Half a gram hashish was ´left´in their room by a ´fan´. Lida was able, after three months in the Bayram Pasha-prison of Istanbul, to fly out the country when still on bail. Thanks to the incredible efforts ofthe brilliant Turkish lawyer Osman Yilmaz, former laureate from Switzerland. Askin was send a couple of years off for correction to the infamous Imrali-prison-island. Mohamed was let free after some days due to lack of evidence.
In this period El-Fers was is in contact with Ali Koçatepe, one of Turkey´s top-producers, and returned some months to the Netherlands for a number of re-union-concerts with Tiq Maya.
The following years ATLAL´s only constants are singer/songwriter El-Fers and manager David Epstein.
- Atlal seems to have a different line-up every gig, without Lida Bakker, but as long as Mohamed was there, could be sold as the group Atlal by Epsteins booking-office. Lida would later join the group of the German singer Carina Eckes.
- ´Atlal´ with a Bulgarian drummer and two Bulgarian accordionists is playing in Svelingrad. In the al Urdun-club in Amman Atlal is almost complete Jordan, except drummer Firouz Taghikani and El-Fers.
- Atlal is Turko-Farsi when they play again in the Shekoufeh Now in Teheran.
- Two months later in the Bush & Bull of Ndolo City, all but El-Fers and Taghikani are from Zambia.
- In 1979 the Dutch weekly Privé has an article ´Dutch popgroup victim of Khomeini´, a story about the sudden leave of ATLAL out of Iran. The group was transported out of Persia by the American Airforce, leaving all their instruments behind.
That same month the Dutch daily Nieuwsblad
van het Zuiden writes that the 22-years Iranian Firouz Taghikani of the
group ATLAL was arrested as an illegal immigrant by the Dutch police.
The remaining members of ATLAL are joined by George Moustaki and his group during
a protest-concert.- In the summer of ´82 ATLAL is recording in the Cairo Sawt el Arab-studio. Mohamed el-Fers and Peter Etheredge are interviewed by producer is Sheriff al Attar. After this program, for the first time was broadcasted on the English worldservice of Radio Cairo in 1982, it resulted in a boost of different bootleg-tapes of the group. In Cairo alone the group collected 4 different versions of the Cairo-tapes at the street-vendors available. Beside a couple of songs recorded by Peter Etheredge and Mohamed el-Fers, accompanied by Hadi Girgis, the big hits were the songs Back on the Nile (Jil Jilala/Mohamed el-Fers) and Cool Running (Mohamed el-Fers), first recorded about a month before the Egyptian tour.
- Atlal was in this period Mohamed el-Fers, vocal, guitar; Peter Etheredge (USA), bass; Andrea Puddu (Sardegna, Italia), leadguitar, Norvel Siberie (Dutch Antilles), clarinet; Jos Lemmens (Netherlands), drums; Hani Girgis (Egypt), percussion and Rocky ´Chepito´ Winklaar (Aruba), percussion.
During the Egyptian tour the group is interviewed as well by the late. Kamel el Malach (one of the last interviews of the nestor of Egyptology for his shownews-page in daily al Ahram). Atlal also apears in the top music show of the Egyptian National Television, where they are interviewed by Hamdia Hamdi (El Alem Ghani, the World Sings).
Egyptian
daily al-Akhbar published on 22 July ´82 a portrait of ATLAL and picture
of Etheredge and El-Fers in front op the poster of a London concert, together
with the group Madness. - In this period Dutch weekly Aktueel (20 november 1982) shows Atlal with Peter Etheredge, Rocky Winklaar, Hani Girgis and Mohamed el-Fers.
- Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad (25 March 1983) in an article by John LeNoble shows Jos Lemmens, Peter Etheredge, Andrea Puddu, Mohamed el-Fers, Norvel Siberie en Rocky Winklaar.
- Percussionist Hani Girgis is back in the group on a picture published in Rotterdam weekly De Maas of December 4th 1983, with next to Girgis, Rocky Winklaar, Mohamed el-Fers, Norvel Siberie and Peter Etheredge.
- In 2005 there was a sold-out Atlal-reunion concert in the Frisian village Tersoal (Boarnsterhim). This "Atlal" was made up by Mohamed el-Fers (guitar), Rene Zwaap (bass), Ed de Jager (guitar) and Abdel Alariachi (drums).
- In October 2008 Lida Bakker and Mohamed el-Fers played for the first time in 30 years together as duo in Santpoort, the Netherlands.
Links:
Here some of the songs of Atlal (in Easy Chords).
The wine you drink
(Mohamed el-Fers 4 feb. 1973 - Haarlem)
alike for those who for today prepare
and those that after some tomorrow stare
before we too into dust descend
withous lies, songs,
without end
don't sing again the song of new and old
down man's successive, generations rolled
the dream of always winners, dressed in gold
cast by the naker into human mould
and if the wine you drink
the lips you press
in what all begins
and ends in yes
for I remember stopping by the way
to watch a potter thunping his wet clay
and hear the words they always say:
gently brother, gently pray
as under cover of departing day
slunk hunger strikes the ramadan away
shapes of all sizes, great or small
don't talk to them at all
Come with Old Khayyam
(Mohamed el-Fers 2 feb. 1973 - Haarlem)
ah come with old khayyam and leave the wise
one things is certain - that life flies
one thing is certain - the rest are lies
the flower once that blooms, forever dies
with the seed of wisdom did I saw
I came like water and like wind I go
with mine owm hands wrought to make it grow
I came like water and like wind I go
there was a door to which I found no key
there was a veil through which I coulds not see
the little talk awhile of me and thee
there was - but then no more of thee and me
myself when young - eagerly frequent
docter and saint - I've heard great argument
about in, and about - but ever more
came always in and out by the same old door
and this I know - wheter one true light
kindly to love or consume me quite
one glimpse of it is like light at night
better than in temple lost outright
Back on the Nile
(Mohamed el-Fers/Jil Jilala)
(G) Sat back in me (F) seat
swallowed the heat
when looking out
I see the crowd
on both sides well tended palm trees
line the road (C-G-C-G)
people flashing by
and in a while
banks of the Nile
just as it was
each day dawns fine
but I feel alright in bright sunlight
I'm (F) back, yes I'm back on the Nile
of (G) who drinks, he will retun
back (F), yes I'm back on the Nile
(G) back in that wonderworld (F-G-C-G 2)
From those to
those who have not
it seems a plot
can mean a lot
give some of your own
no matter how little
ev'rywhere that sound
star of the east
I hear you loud
even you're gone
you're living on
in the hearts of so a-many
I'm back...
hear stories retold
for thousand years
to million ears
my sense of time
has purified
to becpme lost in my own thougts
some come to dig the earth
I dig the world
mysteries unsolved
for what it's worth
I drink the Nile to be sure
I'm back one day
I'm back...
(Released in June 1982 on Dokki Casette & Records, Cairo, Egypt)
Revolution is no theater
(Mohamed el-Fers 29 nov. 1973 - Haarlem)
(E-Em) (G) there's no space left for me to breathe
(E) nowhere is the place where I can go
(G) hear them talk about freedom yeah
(E) but not for me, oh no no no
(D) revolution's no (C) theater
you can't (D) make reservations for (C) later
or steal the (D) show in the united nations
it's a fight for (E) right
they really wanna se you as (G) beautiful victim
(E) as fugitive with empty hands
what happened 'till now it passed all bounds
left so alone without a friend
sad and (G) blue
stay (E) sad and (G) lonely
(E) always (G) fucked and (E) fucked by (G) everyone
(E) when you (G) show you (E) didn't left hoping
(E) but not so (G) mean as Hitler it has (E) done
Land of my father
(Mohamed el-Fers 26 maart 1973 - H'lem)
(Dm) Like to go to the land of my father
where rest and peace are easy to gather
deserts and water - land of my brother
let's go there
(F) easy living I'd (C) tried so long
(Am) have done my credits in this world gone 'o (Dm) wrong
(F) before my fading life (C) provide
they (Am) wash a body whence life (Dm) died
should we take begin of spring
it makes me go like a bird on the wing
a million blossoms everyday
will take me up and make me run away
easy living I'll tried again
far away from cold winds and the rain
one day we shall go away
the next we spend in caravanseray
Place called tomorrow
(Mohamed el-Fers 28 may 1972 - Paris)
tripping down the higway going south
cars with strange numberplates
a different mind, all around
the sun makes me hide in the shade
go to a place called tomorrow
on a road called today
