It can be justifiably said that without Rizan Said a good number of Syrian singers from the 1990s on might never have been heard — most notably Omar Souleyman, who has collaborated with Said for two decades. Where synthesizers can bring a certain artifice and death to the sound of music, Said’s torrential speed and flair on the keys bring new life to Syrian and Kurdish sounds, respectfully forcing the component sounds of folkloric dabke to the next level. This is the updated sound of the ages, with hand drums and reed flutes emulated and pounded out on Korg keyboards.