Transit by Mohamed Assani: Review

by Damien Reid December 22, 2022

December 22, 2022

Transit by Mohamed Assani: Review

Mohamed Assani is an electrifying sitar player based in Canada. The musician’s versatile talent is evident from his masterful playing of the classical instrument. I have an immense appreciation for Indian culture, especially its musical pillars. From Carnatic to more instrumentally driven classical sequences, it is quite delightful to hear the unique diversity in their melodies. The legendary Ravi Shankar and his daughter are one of my favorite artists whom I frequently listen to and truly cherish. So, I was showered with an abundance of emotions while hearing the dance of melodies that resides within Mohamed Assani’s sitar virtuoso in “Transit.”

The musical segments in “Transit” takes many shapes and forms, from incredible fast paced-sections accompanying the sitar’s diversity to remarkable percussions. There’s even a part where classical-style singing is involved that mimics the sounds of the tabla. Assani’s playing technique is truly polished, and his classical roots are a joy to hear. There are some sections in the track, where the beats go into a state of trance and just battle it out with the sitar’s tempo. In my brain, I kept thinking, “how is that humanly possible?”, but man, it sounds impeccably juicy indeed.

“Transit” is a track that is substantial in length, and a lovely progressive piece to hear. The genre of music is what I believe is referred to as “Raga”. An interesting traditional playstyle involving many classical instruments, such as the bamboo flute, the tabla, and the sitar. So, if you’re in the mood to experience a spicy Indian classical mix, then please do hear the delectable tale in Mohamed Assani’s “Transit.”