HAMSA June 2005 Carvin Knowles' first solo album, HAMSA is a beat driven fusion of Middle-Eastern music that has been called "Infectiously Groovy" by the press. HAMSA features Turkish Ud, Egyptian and Indian percussion, vintage Moog® Synthesizers and a short-wave radio. It ranges from breakbeat (Ghita) to damaged dub (From Hodu to Kush) to dancefloor remix (Shekheina) to orchestral (Ghita Reprise) to traditional (Tifereth, Mme. Zorna)....all with a danceable beat and virtuostic performances. Hamsa means, simply, five. The symbol is believed by some to be the hand of some great holy lady of miraculous power such as Fatmeh, daughter of The Prophet Mohammed or Miriam, the sister of Moses. But to whomever the hand belongs, it has one purpose: it keeps away the Evil Eye, reflecting back the envious green-eyed glances of the stranger. Ironically, as protection against the outsider, it has become a signpost to the great crossroads of East and West, Life and Death, Past and Future... User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.