Haifa Wehbe - Habibi Ana

Few artists have had a career as eventful, or achieved so much in such a short period of time, as Haifa Wehbe. In her six-year career, she has released three albums, a mega-hit single (the ubiquitous Boos El Wawa), and gotten her own reality show, as well as keep several tabloids open with rumors and stories of her private life. Three years in the making, Habibi Ana sees a Haifa with a better voice, and a very different style. Haifa's previous albums were made primarily by Lebanese musicians, with even the Egyptian songs usually by Lebanese composers or arrangers. However, with only one Lebanese song on this album (Ayami) and a handful Lebanese musicians (Wissam El Ghazzawi, Yehia El Hassan, Elie Barbar, and Jean-Marie Riachi), Haifa has worked with some of Egypt's best-known modern musicians, including Mohamed Yehia, Amr Mostafa, Tarek Madkour, Mohamed Refai, Tamer Ali, Tamim, Khaled Ezz, and Sherif Tag. The majority of the songs combine more pop and R&B than her previous album, but Haifa still maintains a great Arabic feel to the majority of the songs, whether via percussion, kanun, or strings. With the exception of Tarek Madkour's work (Ya Habibi Ana, Ma Tkallemnish) and Tesmahli, this is the first Haifa album I listened to without skipping every other song. For those who, like me, miss Haifa's more Arabic and upbeat work, like Ragab, Tigi Ezay, and Ma Khadtesh Bali, Haifa doesn't disappoint with Ma T'oulsh Le Had.



1. Ya Habibi Ana
2. Yabn El Halal
3. Ba'd Elli Hasalli
4. Albi Habb
5. Olt Eih
6. Ma T'oulsh Le Had
7. Metakhda
8. Ayami
9. Hat Alaya
10. Tesmahli
11. Khayna
12. Hassa Ma Beinna
13. Ma Tkallemnish
14. Ihsasi Bik
15. Moush Adra Astanna

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Laura Khalil - Raweq A'sabak

Unlike its predecessor, and her 2008 album, Laura's 2005 album tried too hard to add mainstream pop to the mix. The outcome was an album with some great composition, but many of the songs are overpowered by lackluster arrangement that tries to be "cool" but fails miserably. Negative criticism aside, the overall album is quite good and worth a download. The album starts off with the sleepy Raweq A'sabak and the overly poppy Shouq We Hira, instantly putting most listeners off. However, once you get past them, there are a couple songs in Laura's usual enjoyable style. Betthebbeni Aywa still tries to work in pop beats, but the strings and composition are more engaging than the first two tracks. Ya M'addeb El Re'yan is a great Lebanese dabke track, but although the strings, ney, and mizmar are present, the arranger unfortunately decided that overpowering the dabke beat with beatboxing and record-scratching would make the track interesting. Yah Ya Habibi is also a good song, with predominantly Egyptian-style arrangement, though the need to incorporate pop into the album creeps in here too. Ya Nasini, a remake, is in the vein of Raweq A'sabak, with nothing too interesting. The album ends with its two of its best tracks, Dah Yetla' Min and Rayeh Ala Fein. Dah Yetla' Min is composed by Tarek Abou Jaoudeh and arranged by Tony Saba, but the end result is a very Egyptian song, complete with a sha'bi-style mawal.


1. Raweq A'sabak
2. Shouq We Hira
3. Betthebbeni Aywa
4. Ya M'addeb El Re'yan
5. Yah Ya Habibi
6. Ya Nasini
7. Dah Yetla' Min
8. Rayeh Ala Fein

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Diana Karazon - Superstar Al Arab

Diana Karazon's debut album came only a matter of months after winning the pan-Arab import of Pop Idol, Superstar, on Future TV. The first single, Ensani Ma Bensak, a Tarek Abou Jaoudeh-Hadi Sharara collaboration, was an instant hit throughout the Arab World. The video clip was a collage of a live performance of the song and celebrations of her victory around the Middle East. The album itself was not a sales success, despite the hype around Diana for winning in the first year of the show and the massive success of her first single. Whatever the reasons for the low sales, quality was not one of them. Diana worked with a great team, including Abdallah El Ga'oud, Wissam El Amir, Hani Siblini, Hadi Sharara, and Tarek Abou Jaoudeh. Diana also remade İbrahim Tatlıses' hit Tabi Tabi, composed by Altan Cetin. The album's styles are various and include Khaliji, Lebanese dabke, ballads, and some tarab-influenced songs as well. It's definitely a must-listen.



1. Ensani Ma Bensak
2. Hobbak Kawini
3. Omri Law Leila
4. Habibi Ana
5. Ma Sheftak Ella Marra
6. Be Ez El Lail
7. Mahma Alou
8. Bghar Alaik
9. El Shar Barra We Ba'id

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Melissa - Baddi Mennak

Melissa's launch began with her first single, Leil Ya Leil, which casual listeners first mistook for a new Elissa song, due to their initial vocal similarity. However, with the release of her first music video, it became clear that this was Jean Saliba's (Elissa's former producer) new project. Like Elissa's early 1998-2000 work, Melissa worked with Turkish composers, but with much better results for the most part. Melissa's debut album is a very different album from its successor, Mfakker Halak Min. The title track is a dull jazzy number, but the album gets more exciting with the second track, Leil Ya Leil, which was in the dance style she decided to continue with in her second album. Unlike her new album, this one has many more slower-paced songs, and a much more traditionalist approach to the arrangement on most of the songs. Dabou Oyouni and Habibi La Teb'od Anni are slower ballads, while Albi Eshta'lak and the hit Kam Sana are slightly more upbeat. Hobbi Ana is another slow-paced song but with a great beat and arrangement. Finally, the album ends with Wehyat Albak, another dance song in the vein of her newer work, and a remix of Leil Ya Leil. The majority of the album is arranged by Lebanese arranger Jean-Marie Riachi, with the exception of tracks 6 (Boudi Naoum) and 8 (Aytekin Kurt).



1. Baddi Mennak
2. Leil Ya Leil
3. Dabou Oyouni
4. Albi Eshta'lak
5. Habibi La Teb'od Anni
6. Kam Sana
7. Hobbi Ana
8. Wehyat Albak
9. Leil Ya Leil (Remix)

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Nawal - Nawal 2002

Nawal's 2002 album brought with it one of her first pan-Arab hits, El Shoug Jabek (Love Brought You), which is an interesting musical meld of Latin and Egyptian styles. It is also one of her most extensive collaborations with Egyptian composer/arranger Tarek Aakef, who arranged six of the eleven tracks. Unlike her last two releases, western influences are scarce in this album, and she employs Khaliji and Egyptian styles throughout the album.



1. El Shoug Jabek
2. Habib El Omr
3. Ya Entedhari
4. Khathani El Shoug
5. Khams Jerouh
6. Tefassil
7. Illa Int
8. Metghayer Kalamek
9. Gad Ma Habbeit
10. Ana Weddi
11. Goul Ahebbek

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Adam - Hatha Ana

Like Carole Samaha was, Adam is under the Tarab Production label, meaning Nicolas Saade Nakhle is his producer. Unlike Carole, who Nicolas only composed Addaysh for, Adam's biggest hits are all composed by Nicolas. Adam has more than excelled in the Khaliji and Egyptian Arabic dialects as well as his native Lebanese dialect. Though his vocal ability is easily the greatest of his generation, too many singles and live albums have made his career very slow. This album includes two of his recent hits, Hatha Ana and Kheles El Dame', as well as an older hit, Habib El Rouh, in which you will notice his voice is much younger than it is in the rest of the songs.



1. Hatha Ana
2. Kheles El Dame'
3. Ader Rabbi
4. Kattar Kheirak
5. Habib El Rouh
6. Allah Yemassik

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Nelly Makdessy - Ana Eih?

Nelly Makdessy's third album Ana Eih? was a much greater success for her than Ahli Arab, for more reasons than one. It had a good team of musicians like its predecessors, but it was also partly because the the scandal around the fabricated pornographic photos, that almost destroyed her career in 2003, had subsided. As is usually the case with Nelly, there are very few slow songs on this song, and upbeat songs with big percussion dominate. The album's title song is a great fusion of both electronic and Arabic music, typical of the work Tarek Abou Jaoudeh and Hadi Sharara did together. The second single, Eshtaq, is an upbeat maksoum song composed by Tamer Ali. The two slower songs, Keif Ansak and Ana Wel Leil, are by Turkish composers Ozcan Deniz and Zulfu Bayhan.



1. Ana Eih
2. Law Betthebbeni
3. Keif Ansak
4. Eyounak
5. Ana Wel Leil
6. Eshtaq
7. Ghali
8. Hobbak Na'em
9. Met'eb El Galb
10. Ya Bourdain

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Latifa - Ma'loumat Akideh

Having made the jump from traditional to pop years ago, Latifa is no stranger to change. Even after she starred in Mansour Rahbani's Hokm El Ro'yan play, nobody foresaw her collaboration with Ziad Rahbani until she announced it. Ma'loumat Akideh was Latifa's most controversial album. Critics said she was "copying" Fairuz's style by singing her son, Ziad's, songs. Others criticized Ziad's "vulgar" lyrics in the first single, Bi Nus El Jaw, which used sexual metaphors, and Latifa for singing them. However, for the majority of her listeners, it was a drastic change for Latifa, who has been singing primarily in the Egyptian dialect for years. In Ma'loumat Akideh, Sherif Tag (composed Hayati) was the only Egyptian composer Latifa worked with. The other Egyptian songs, Shofto Be Eini, Ash'ana, and Tefl Esghayar, were composed by Jean-Marie Riachi, Ziad Rahbani, and Marwan Khoury respectively. The remaining songs are all composed and arranged by Ziad Rahbani, including an instrumental piece titled Atil We Darar. Dawwart Iyam El Shetteh, Ma'loumat Mish Akideh, and Ma'loumat Akideh are all western-style jazz songs, in the vein of Fairuz's later jazz hits. Bi Nus El Jaw melds more Arabic music with the jazz, incorporating bouzouk and kanun. My personal favorites; Ammenli Bait, Nafath A Bokra, and Ash'ana have more Arabic and classical instrumentation, and are more reminiscent of Fairuz's earlier work. The richness of Ziad Rahbani's music is enough to make this one of Latifa's best albums.



1. Ma'loumat Mish Akideh
2. Ammenli Bait
3. Ash'ana
4. Hayati
5. Shofto Be Eini
6. Bi Nus El Jaw
7. Tefl Esghayar
8. Nafath A Bokra
9. Dawwart Iyam El Shetteh
10. Atil We Darar
11. Ma'loumat Akideh

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Nawal - Nawal 2006

Nawal, or Nawal El Kuwaitia as she has come to be called recently, has been professionally singing for a quarter of a century now. Her ever-changing style started with traditional Khaliji songs, but today her portfolio boasts a wide range of styles, including western-influenced Khaliji ballads, Moroccan, Egyptian, and pop. Nawal's first attempt at the Moroccan dialect, the hit Tammen Galbak, is included, the hit Tammen Galbak. The first single, Inta Tayeb, and Gelli Meta are arranged by Egyptian arrangers Khaled Ezz and Hani Farhat, like the majority of Asalah's 2007 Khaliji album. Fel Bedaya is an interesting track which uses a vast number of instruments, including the clarinet, violin, ney, kanun, piano and accordion, coupled with various percussions, Egyptian and Khaliji. The songs with a purely Khaliji feel to them are arranged by Tarek Aakef, who despite his Egyptian origin is no stranger to Khaliji music. Tefadhal is a typical Khaliji dance song, while Dekhil El Hob and Ala Keifah are mellower, but all are instantly recognizable as Aakef's work. The remaining songs are in Nawal's signature style, Khaliji but always with international influences, ranging from Latin to Egyptian.



1. Tammen Galbak
2. Inta Tayeb
3. Kessarni El Khouf
4. Dekhil El Hob
5. Tefadhal
6. Gelli Meta
7. Bi Fakkarouni
8. Fi Jefaf El Omr
9. Ala Keifah
10. Ayam Hobbek
11. Erham Eyouni
12. Fel Bedaya

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Nora Rahal - Dounyeti... Ahla

Lebanese-Syrian singer/actress Nora Rahal was absent from the public eye for a long time in which she was being treated for breast cancer in Europe. She was virtually forgotten by the ever-changing music business. Thankfully, Nora was cured, and she returned in 2007 with a much stronger effort than her previous album. Dounyeti... Ahla was composed by Nora Rahal herself, Riyad El Hamshari, and a team of talented Lebanese composers: Tarek Abou Jaoudeh, George Marderosian, Iwan, and Haitham Zayyad. Aadi, Dounyeti... Ahla, and especially Azeb Albi and Ma Y'oulou are great songs that really reaffirm Nora's place in the music scene. The good tracks dominate in this album, with only one or two lackluster songs. Wel Ah is a good song but demands a much wider vocal range, and Ajmal Hawa is dull compared to the rest of this stellar album.



1. Aadi
2. Azeb Albi
3. Dounyeti... Ahla
4. La Tekhteber Sabri
5. Ma Y'oulou (Majnouneh Fik)
6. Wel Ah
7. Ajmal Hawa
8. Daweit El Ashra
9. Ala Fekra
10. Bfakker Fik

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Najwa Karam - Shou Mghayara..!

In 2004, Najwa was still riding on the immense success of Saherni, her 2003 album, which had pulled her up from her slightly lackluster 2002 album, Tahamouni. Like its predecessor, Shou Mghayara..! also saw a much less significant presence of Imad Shamseddine, who at the time was producing Rouwaida Attieh's debut album, Men Nazra. Although Wissam El Amir dominated this album as well, Najwa worked with Marwan Khoury and Mahmoud Khayami, adding to the album's diversity. She sang in the Khaliji dialect extensively here too, albeit not in the Khaliji style. Laish Mgharrab is also one of the rare instances in which Najwa sings about a political subject. The video clip, which visualizes a apocalyptic Beirut in 2020, also had scenes which portrayed citizens protesting against the government. The video was initially banned, but was later released after the protest scenes were almost completely edited out. The song, written by Roger Feghali, describes the feelings of a Lebanese emigrant. You can view the edited version here with English subtitles.



1. Bi Hawak
2. Shou Kent T'elli
3. Ya Dounya
4. Areft Akhtar
5. Shou Mghayara
6. Akher Dawa
7. Lailek Ma Kan Mashi
8. Laish Mgharrab

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Carole Samaha - Helm

Carole Samaha's transition from the Rahbani stage to mainstream music could not have been smoother than Helm. The album boasts some of Lebanon's most talented musicians: Marwan Khoury, Wissam El Amir, Nicolas Saade Nakhle, Hadi Sharara, Jean-Marie Riachi, Abdou Menzer, and Claude Chalhoub. Carole explores numerous styles, from electronic/dance to classical-influenced and purely Arabic songs. Five years and two more albums on, Carole still hasn't managed to eclipse this great album.



1. Kif
2. Gharibeh
3. Mitl El Helm
4. Ana Men Dounak
5. Habib Albi
6. Ettalla' Fiyeh
7. Raje'
8. Addaysh

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Nawal Al Zoghbi - Elli Tmanneito

Having cut off all ties from Rotana, Nawal signed up with Alam El Phan in 2002, after a string of hit albums (Mandam Aleik, Ma Loum, El Layali, and Toul Omri). Barely a year after Toul Omri, Nawal released Elli Tmanneito in 2002. The rushed manner of the album, and misunderstandings with the press put Nawal under heavy stress, and she stayed out of the public eye after shooting the videos for the album. The album is a mixed bag, with Latin-influenced pop, Egyptian maksoum, Moroccan, Khaliji (lyrics), Lebanese, and a remake of a Turkish song (Trekni Rouh).



1. Elli Tmanneito
2. Bi Yelba'lak
3. Ghib An Einaya
4. Nar El Gharam
5. Trekni Rouh
6. Habib Diali
7. Malak Alaya Yamin
8. Yana Yana
9. Weili Ya Hawa
10. Habibi Ana

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Nawal Al Zoghbi - Khalas Sameht

Nawal's seven-year stint with Alam El Phan/Mazzika ended this year with her return to Rotana, whom she left on bad terms after her 2001 hit, Toul Omri. Rotana PR's slogan spread through the media fast: "نوال و روتانا سوى من جديد" (Nawal and Rotana, together again). Nawal, who produces her albums herself, had her album ready for release soon after and in January 2008, Khalas Sameht was released. Sporting not only a new haircut, but an almost completely different team of musicians, and a new director for her video, Nawal Al Zoghbi's style had changed in almost every aspect. Khalas Sameht, Leih Moushta'alak, and Law Kan were the typical pop that Nawal has gotten us used to, however, in the vein of her previous album, Nawal was sticking with a more Arabic musical style in the rest of the album. Albi Es'alou and Shou Hal Alb employ strong Arabic beats and strings, coupled with electronic beats and motifs, in Hadi Sharara's signature style. El Hawa We Amailou, Tigi Mennak, and Ma Tes'al Alaya are distinctly Egyptian songs, and thoroughly enjoyable. Overall, the album is a younger, and much more enjoyable effort from Nawal Al Zoghbi.



1. Leih Moushta'alak
2. Albi Es'alou
3. Khalas Sameht
4. El Hawa We Amailou
5. Law Kan
6. Tigi Mennak
7. Ma Tes'al Alaya
8. Shou Hal Alb

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Laura Khalil - Hekayeh

Laura Khalil's soulful and versatile voice allows her to sing everything from Lebanese ballads like Ma Tkhabbi Alayeh and Hekayeh to more Egyptian songs like Ammal Ala Battal and Settin Alf Salama. The album makes no attempt to sound western or poppy, and is refreshing in that way. Composers on the album include Walid Saad, Salim Salameh, and the late Riyad El Hamshari.



1. Ma Tkhabbi Alayeh
2. Haremni Oyounak
3. Bakhaf Ala Za'lak
4. Ammal Ala Battal
5. Hekayeh
6. Bte'telni Haik
7. Settin Alf Salama
8. Hekayeh (Instrumental)

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Yara - Inta Menni

Yara's long-awaited second album is in a completely different direction than her hit debut, Twassa Fiyeh, and understandably so. The only musician on both Twassa Fiyeh and Inta Menni is Yara's producer, Tarek Abou Jaoudeh. The majority of this album is arranged by Jean-Marie Riachi, with one by Tarek Madkour, and another by Ralph Khoury (from The R.E.G. Project). Yara, like Wael Kfoury and Assi Al Hillani, is one of the artists who lost an integral part of their team from Tarek Abou Jaoudeh and Hadi Sharara's highly-publicized fallout. Also, this album has two Lebanese composers, Tarek Abou Jaoudeh and Wissam El Amir. The rest of the songs are by Egyptian composers (Rami Gamal, Mostafa Sabri, Mahmoud Khayami), with two by Khaliji composers (Nasser El Saleh, Ahmed El Hermi), and another by Greek composer Phoebus. In short, expect a completely different album from Yara's first.



1. Jayeh
2. Hessak Einak
3. Inta Menni
4. Alli La'
5. Hawel Marra
6. Bi Gemlet Elli Rah
7. Ma Yhemak
8. Haddi A'sabek
9. Bahlam Bi Ainaik
10. Inta Menni (Remix)

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Melissa - Mfakker Halak Min

Melissa's initial entry into the music scene as "Elissa 2.0" with Elissa's former producer, Jean Saliba, hindered her success in 2006. Her first two singles, Leil Ya Leil and Kam Sana were hits nonetheless and put Melissa's name out into the fray of new pop stars. Like her previous album, Mfakker Halak Min is, for the most part, the fruit of Jean Saliba's collaboration with Turkish composers. However, this time around Melissa leaves the Elissa-style ballads behind for a more club-oriented album. Rather than Jean-Marie Riachi and Nasser El As'ad, this new dance album is arranged by Hadi Charara, Aytekin Kurt, and Walid Sheraki. For those who liked Melissa's old style, it's a drastic change, however for those who are looking for a break from the ballads, this is your album. The album is well-suited to Melissa's otherwise limited vocal range, and enjoyable from beginning to end. Also included is her hit summer 2007 duet with Dr. Alban, Habibi. Tracks 4 to 7 are all club and trance-influenced, while tracks 1-3 are have a slower pop pace, and track 8 is hip hop.



1. Mfakker Halak Min
2. Wehyat Eineik
3. Rouh
4. Inta Eih Fi Hayati
5. Ta'lali Awam
6. Khodou Eini
7. Habibi Ertah
8. Habibi (Somebody Call My Name) [feat. Dr. Alban]

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Grace Deeb - Ma Btishbah Hada

It is when Grace Deeb experiments with Arabic music that she gets interesting, rather than singing overly western-influenced songs. Grace's vocal style may not be "oriental" but she excels at just about anything. She has sung western-style ballads like the hit Ana Habbayt and Comme Toi, but she has also sung Ghannali, Endak Khabar, and Ghinniyat, which are very oriental songs. Naturally, when Grace released Ma Btishbah Hada, I was eager to see how she had evolved. Thankfully, Grace's 2008 album is a great example of how she manages to mix Arabic themes with western ones, and coupled with interesting lyrics. Grace's first single of the album, O'thorini is a great mix of Arabic and pop beats, with Arabic strings in the background. The album does not disappoint at all with interesting tunes like Ba'ref Laish, Eini Fe Eino While many will be disappointed by the fact the album seems to be much simpler, and less diverse, than Grace's first two albums. The absence of George Marderosian and Boudi Naoum, both of whom greatly contributed to her career, is unexpected. With the exception of Eini Fe Eino and Bo'dak Anni, the album is almost completely composed by Grace herself. Perhaps the absence of producer Anoud Ma'aliqi's name from the CD explains the major changes in Grace's musical team.



1. O'thorini
2. Ma Btishbah Hada
3. Eini Fe Eino
4. Ba'ref Laish
5. Bo'dak Anni
6. Asfa
7. Gelli Keif

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Najwa Karam - Am Bemzah Ma'ak

Najwa Karam's seventeenth album furthers the reputation of both excellence and musical evolution that she has upheld for the past two decades. This album, perhaps more than any of its predecessors, shows the many faces of Najwa and her music. Am Bemzah Ma'ak's star-studded list of lyricists and musicians includes Nizar Francis, Saoud El Sharbatli, Melhem Barakat, Wissam El Amir, Imad Shamseddine, Hadi Charara, Mohamed Mostafa, and Tamim, whom Najwa works with for the first time. Najwa's past two albums focused primarily on more traditional Lebanese songs, with a few exceptions. However, this album's music ranges from dabke and sha'bi to more jazz and pop-influenced songs that still maintain an Arabic feel. Though not an instant crowd-pleaser like her Kibir El Hob album, this album's style is mature and something you will want listen to over and over.



1. Inta El Shams
2. Am Bemzah Ma'ak
3. Gatalna El Khouf
4. Ammant Galbi
5. El Helm El Abyad
6. Kammel Ala Rouhi
7. Ta'a Khabbik
8. Ma Bkhabbi Alaik

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Madeleine Matar - Bahebbak Wa Dari

Another underrated, but definitely top-notch album: Madeleine Matar's 2006 album, Bahebbak Wa Dari. Two songs were shot and released on video clip channels, the beautiful "Bahebbak Wa Dari" and the catchy "Betlawen Leih Alaya", and they met with success. However, if you didn't listen to the rest of this album, you missed one great album. Madeleine worked with many talented musicians, from Mahmoud Khayami to the late Riyad El Hamshari.



1. Bahebbak Wa Dari
2. Tab'ak Sa'b
3. Nessani
4. Bahebbak Wa Dari (Instrumental)
5. Betlawen Leih Alaya
6. Sabbar Habibak
7. Shar'i Habibak
8. Shaka Fik

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