When it comes to traditional music played by indigenous musicians, the Sultans are one of the most recognizable names in the world. Their latest album, Sound of the Sultans, released by the label LifeArt, joins together some of their best works. The material of significant cultural importance contains over an hour of enchanting musical gems, starting with a vocal chant Habibi-Ya-Ayni and ending with an instrumental Maas-Salama. Remastered from original recordings, the carefully restored sound of the album improves the quality of the songs while keeping the artistic interpretations untouched. Sound of the Sultans delivers eleven pieces of conceptually consistent material dealing with a tasteful balance of instrumental scores and heart-touching chants. The leader of the Sultans, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, is the recipient of the 2011 Turkish Music Award for Best Instrumental Album of the Year, the 2003 Turkish Music Award for Best Artist, and the recipient of the Musician-Of- The-Year-Award in 1998 and 1999. He is also a nominee for the BBC World Music Award 2003 in the category of the Middle East and the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Zonguldak Būlent Ecevit University in Turkey. Omar Faruk is of Turkish and Egyptian heritage. When he was sixteen years old, he moved to Istanbul and became one of the top Turkish studio musicians. In the early seventies, Omar toured the USA with a Turkish folk ensemble for the first time. In 1976. Omar returned to the States and formed a band with his brother-in-law Ibrahim Turmen, who had been performing since he was seven years old. Since then, some of the most talented musicians such as Sherif Sarakby, Nick Mouganis, Omar Faruks brother Hadji, Amine, and Raymond Khoury have played in the Sultans. However, Omar's collaboration with Amin Khoury has resulted in some of the essential songs of the album. All you Ethno music lovers out there, get ready for a treat!