The fullness of the human heart is reflected in Sami Yusuf’s ‘Un Corazón Bailando’. This work takes as a starting point the instrumental refrain of his composition ‘A Dancing Heart’ from his 'Azerbaijan: A Timeless Presence' album and creates a new piece that lets breathe the full range of the heart’s emotions.

From the intro’s singular sound of Antoine Morinière’s classical guitar and Mohammed Jaberi’s daf to the Middle Eastern sound of the full ensemble to flamenco rhythms by guitarists José Manuel León and Tarik Hilal, we come to rest in a bittersweet balaban solo by Maqsad Azizov. The Azerbaijani melody is clear.

As unexpected as it is thrilling, the unique passion of cante flamenco is now heard as Spanish singer Israel Moro interprets poetry of Santa Teresa of Ávila and San Juan de la Cruz. The clear, penetrating vocals of Sami Yusuf follow as subtly as a night sky gives way to the dawn. Then just as imperceptibly the vocal solo moves to Nabyla Maan, whose heavenly performance leads to a solo filled with love and longing by Moroccan vocalist Ismail Boujia. Throughout, the vocals have had the sparsest of accompaniment: the beat of the daf and the minimal rhythm of the guitar envelope the lyrics in a delicate embrace that is at once meditative and intense in its depth and mystery.

The vocals and lyrics have plumbed the depths of the soul, but with a return to the ‘Dancing Heart’ refrain, flamenco rhythms, and an exhilarating call and response between the guitars and the baglama, oud, santur, and qanun, joy surges in the heart leaving the listener uplifted and transformed.