I didn't set out to produce a CD based on a particular theme. This album is a window into my private life over the course of many 

years.  It doesn't foretell of events or characters but rather a myriad of emotions experienced and at times withheld throughout my journey. The "Elixir of Life" is experienced through ourselves, with others, in nature, a choice word, a captivating picture, a melodic sound.  The way in which we are touched is personal, but for all of us the experience is beautiful, memorable.  This CD is the manifestation of all what I felt like and what I connected to.

                                                                                Ghazi Abdel Baki

Majnoun Leyla  From the epic story of the great Persian poet Nizami and the grand Egyptian poet Ahmad Shawki. Leyla is the same woman in Eric Clapton’s popular love song, “Layla”. She epitomizes the forbidden and impossible love.  

Galouleh  (They Told Me)  A rebellious cry against preconceived ideas and nurtured thoughts.  The song is about awakening from all societal conditioning of one’s unconscious. The chorus line begins with: “I’ve been told”…you’ll be miserable if... she’s not the right one for you…”.

Ma Illy Hak  (I Don't Have the Right) This is a song about gender differences in love. Here the man can speak endlessly about all things, starting from "the beginning" with the "Book of Genesis" and bringing that in with Darwinian Theory. Everything. The woman, on the other hand, tires of these topics and ultimately wants to hear about their relationship. Is it gender differences or unrequited love?

Tabb  (Falling Down) A ¾ blues piece about a love that ends badly and of the inevitable acceptance of the generic side of the experience. This piece reflects the often difficult realization that love, even when it fails, is necessary for our personal development.

Summer  This is the soundtrack I hear in my mind when dreaming of an ideal summer day by the seaside.

Al Hawa (Air)  Another poem by Rabindranath Tagore. The original title of the poem is “The Rarity of Simplicity”. It speaks of selfless love and the pleasures of giving. It describes the delicate balance within us as a flower petal swaying in the air.  It is about effortless love that is not manufactured and cannot be denied and is as simple and vital as air.   

Spring  A poem by the Bengali mystic poet Rabindranath Tagore about transcendence, self actualization and the ultimate consciousness in symbiosis with nature. This is a song of "spiritual" love, a higher kind of love that is available to all but attainable by only a few.
 
To a friend  A musical adaptation of a collection of poetry I read that resonated profoundly with my state of being. Perhaps the only thing I have in common with the poet is the emotion invoked in his words.  The words spoke to me poignantly.  If these words were music, I think this is how they would sound.

New Morning  Our love of a soft early morning sunrise is not only for its beauty but also for the hope it promises. The heavy sensation of stagnation and status quo is broken down by a feeling of renewal, a new day is born.