Thursday, October 30, 2008

Amal Hijazi - Akher Gharam

Amal Hijazi's debut album was producer Jean Saliba's second major undertaking, after he launched Elissa in 1998. However, Amal differentiated herself from the beginning. Much like Elissa before her, and Myriam Faris, Cyrine, Melissa, and Rayan after her, Amal's debut album features many Turkish composers. For example, the album's first single Rayeh Balak is a remake of Yeşim Salkım's Kavanoz Dipli Dunya. However, unlike the aforementioned singers' debuts, the majority of the album is composed by Arab composers like Tarek Abou Jaoudeh, Marwan Khoury, Hassan Abou El S'oud and Jean-Marie Riachi. The hit title song is composed by the late Azar Habib and arranged by Jean-Marie Riachi in a style that melds Arabic mawals and strings with flamenco-pop. When compared to Amal's latest offerings, it is obvious how much Amal has grown as an artist and matured.

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1. Rayeh Balak
2. Wainak
3. Habibi Oud
4. Kif Ma Baddak
5. Alli El Mousiqa
6. Ashgar
7. Zalem
8. Maghroum
9. Nefsak Tegma' Ma Beinna
10. Ghannait
11. Akher Gharam

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Asalah - Ad El Horouf

Asalah's 2003 album was the last one in which she mixed Khaliji, Syrian, and Egyptian songs on the same CD. Two of the biggest hits, Misheit Senin and A'taz Bek, are by Saudi poet Al Nasser and Kuwaiti composer Dr. Ya'coub Al Khubaizi. Though Al Nasser works mainly with singers from the Gulf, he has written several songs for Magida el Roumi in classical/written Arabic, such as Ouhibbouka Wa Ba'd and Al Hob Wal Wafa', but he wrote Misheit Senin in the Egyptian dialect. Khalli Hal Tabeq Mastour, composed by Syrian singer Elias Karam, is a humorous song in which she tells her lover not to bring up fidelity, because "he who lives in a glass house shouldn't throw stones at others". Though some songs suffer from somewhat archaic arrangement, and Asalah seems to get alittle overenthusiastic on others, like Tasawar and Mali, there are enough good songs on this album to merit a thorough listen.

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1. Tasawar
2. Damirak Sehi
3. Misheit Senin
4. Mali
5. A'taz Bek
6. Ad El Horouf
7. Khalli Hal Tabeq Mastour
8. Lawen Omri
9. Ayez El Haq
10. Aashet El Asami

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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Myriam Faris - Myriam

Myriam Faris entered the music scene with an album that was essentially a tribute to Turkish singer/composer Bendeniz, with six songs credited to her and the two remaining songs to Roger Halabi and Boudi Naoum. Seen as Jean Saliba headed her entry into the music scene, it is not so surprising that her debut album is so different, and Turkish, compared to the albums that came after it. The majority of the songs came from Bendeniz's Zaman album, from which Saliba also remade the title track for Amal Hijazi in her beginnings. Myriam was introduced to music scene with the now ubiquitous Ana Wel Shouq, a remake of Bendeniz's Helal. The music of electronic Ghmorni and Europop Shou Baddo Ysir offsets the otherwise quintessential Turkish style on the rest of the album. Though Myriam was a decent entry for Myriam, she did not truly define her style until her hit 2005 album.

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1. Ana Wel Shouq
2. Ghmorni
3. La Tes'alni
4. Shou Baddo Ysir
5. Inta El Hayat
6. Ahebbak Heyl
7. Hal Gharam Mish Gharam
8. Ya Aalem Bel Hal

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Shams - Shams (2007)

After her 2005 album, Mudhahara Nesa'iya (Women's Rebellion), Shams stayed out of the public eye for a long period of time. The news of the termination of her Rotana contract made many think that her career could only be headed downwards. She returned however, in 2007, with a strong pan-Arab promotional campaign and a controversial video that satirized the American politics in the Middle East, Ahlan Ezayak. Now signed on as Surpr!se Entertainment first artist, Shams' return couldn't have been stronger. Her new album contained two (very different) discs, the first in the Khaliji/Gulf and Iraqi dialects, and the second in the Egyptian dialect.

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Abdelqader El Hedhoud composed the majority of the first disc, with the exception of tracks 3, 5, and 6. The album opens with Million, a lighthearted and comedic song arranged by Tarek Aakef, who gives the song the strong percussion he likes to use on his Khaliji work. Tarek Aakef arranges the most traditional-sounding songs on the album, Million, Ba'ad Omri and La Tetawel Lesanek included. La Tgoul Ma Aridek, composed by Samer Rashed and arranged by Walid Fayed, is the album's sole Iraqi song. Nadhra, which borders on the noisy, is given the Egyptian maksoum treatment by Dr. Ashraf Abdo. The remaining songs have a very different sound, the arrangers, Mohamed Mostafa, Medhat Khamis, and Karim Abdelwahab, are from Egypt, while Ismail T. Black hails from Turkey. Mohamed Mostafa arranged Afia Alay and the hit Loha Me'aqeda, both ballads that he did an excellent job on, though he took a more traditional approach with the former. Tefl, also arranged by Dr. Abdo, is a mix of both oriental instruments and western beats, and very different from Nadhra (in a good way). Karim Abdelwahab does his best work on ballads, and Halat Ferag is no exception, because he makes sure that a slow song doesn't have to be a boring one. The first disc bows out with Qessa Aalamiya, which İsmail Tunçbilek arranges, using his signature strings (which you can hear on Al Hob Wal Wafa', as well as Nawal's El Shoug Jabek and Ma'goula Tensani) combined with clarinets and a purely Iraqi beat.

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1. Million
2. Loha Me'aqeda
3. Ba'ad Omri
4. Nadhra
5. La Tgoul Ma Aridek
6. Sema'na
7. La Tetawel Lesanak
8. Afia Alay
9. Tefl
10. Halat Ferag
11. Qessa Aalamiya

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The majority of the songs on the second disc of Shams' album tend to either be comedic (and subsequently noisy at times) or beautifully sung and composed ballads. Shams' pronounciation is excellent for a Kuwaiti native, though at times her voice does falter. Mohamed Diya'eddin, who is credited with much of Asalah's early success, composed and arranged five songs on this disc. Mohamed Rahim's composition, Ahlan Ezayak, opens the second disc on a lighthearded note also. Ana Arfa is not as interesting, but it's followed by the album's second single, Ghammadt Eineik, which Shams shot a meaningful video for, depicting the life of a person riddled with a drug addiction. Wakhed Balak and Neb'ed Youmein are musically neutral, maksoum songs, with nothing interesting or off-putting. Moush Eshq La, by Mohamed Diya'deddin, has a beautiful, traditional orchestra-style feel to the music. Za'lan and Eih Dah Aslo, an annoying shot at hip-hop, are the album's low points, with not much in terms of lyrics or music to appreciate. However, listening to the great work done on songs like Albi Be Youga'ni (composed by Mohamed Rifai, arranged by Karim Abdelwahab) and Lazem Asibak (composed by Walid Saad, arranged by Mohamed Mostafa) is gratifying enough to make you forget the not so stellar songs. Shams just released a video for Ta'ta'ah (Stutters), the love-it or hate-it song of the season, with mixed reviews. Some simply hate the shrieking Shams does, others love the comedic lyrics and the funny video which portrays Shams as a corrupt judge in what appears to be a red devil suit. As always, Shams also injects some politics under the surface of the video.

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1. Ahlan Ezayak
2. Ana Arfa
3. Ghammadt Eineik
4. Wakhed Balak
5. El Wa't El Mounaseb
6. Ta'ta'ah
7. Albi Be Youga'ni
8. Za'lan
9. Moush Eshq La
10. Neb'ed Youmein
11. Lazem Asibak
12. Eih Dah Aslo

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Asalah - Moushta'a

Asalah's 2002 album was, musically, a 180 degree shift from its predecessor, Ya Akhi Es'al. Instead of Dr. Al Khubaizi and Tarek Aakef, Mohamed Diya'eddin and Walid Saad anchor this album. Also included are Asalah's first and only collaborations with Samir Sfair and Ziad Boutros. Samir Sfair's mellow E'tef Habibi became the second single (after Ayeshni Sawani). Ziad Boutros' melancholic Mish Be Mwa'idi, Asalah's first Lebanese song, has much more substance in terms of lyrics, thanks to Nabil Abou Abdo. Walid Saad's songs are, as they usually are, ballads with lyrics that speak of lost love. However, the upbeat Mo'gaba Fik is an exception and a great change of pace for Walid. It's no secret that, at least pre-2006, ballads are what Asalah always does best. The both sad and empowering Ma Ba'ash Ana, composed by Mohamed Diya', is one of Asalah's most well-known songs to this day.

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1. Ayeshni Sawani
2. Ya Eini
3. Mokhade'
4. E'tef Habibi
5. Mish Be Mwa'idi
6. Mo'gaba Fik
7. Fouq Men Wahmak
8. Ma Ba'ash Ana

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Asalah - Ighdab

Ighdab marked Asalah's first (and only) collaboration with the great Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani. The title song, which is composed by Helmi Bakr, is a lengthy qasida, and stylistically very different than the first four tracks, which are composed by Mohamed Diya'eddin. The poem talks of an angry lover, and how his anger and attempts to hurt her will not make her falter, "for you are like a child, we love children no matter how they hurt us... And without waves, there would not be seas." Law Alf Ahebbak and Batthadda Eyounak are typical 1990s Egyptian maksoum songs with a synth, fast percussion, accordion, a bass line and little in the way of musical innovation. Magrouh Sout El Sa'at and Ma Tes'alnish are both slower, Egyptian ballads.

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1. Law Alf Ahebbak
2. Ma Tes'alnish
3. Batthadda Eyounak
4. Magrouh Sout El Sa'at
5. Ighdab

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Asalah - Ya Akhi Es'al

Asalah's forays into the Khaliji genre began in the 1990s, but Ya Akhi Es'al is arguably her first truly successful Khaliji album. She worked with some of the top composers, such as Dr. Yacoub Al Khubaizi (Leih El Ghorour, Samehna), who composed some of her most successful later work too (Misheit Senin, Afwan) as well as Dina Hayek's summer 2007 hit, Jarreb El Ghira. The title track, Ya Akhi Es'al, is composed by Tarek Mohamed, the man behind so many of Nawal's recent hits, such as Inta Tayyeb, Tebgha El Sedeg, and Agsa Kalami. The songs tend to be traditional, however some songs like Leih El Ghorour and Samehna incorporate piano and bouzouk also.

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1. Leih El Ghorour
2. Samehna
3. Rajeitak
4. El Ghira
5. Ya Akhi Es'al
6. Khalas
7. Es'al Aleina
8. Asalli Nafsi

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Saturday, October 18, 2008

Nancy Ajram - Ya Salam (Collector's Edition)

Nancy Ajram began her musical career in 1998, with Mihtagalak, and followed it up with Shil Eyounak Anni in 2000. But in a scene filled with burgeoning new talents, Nancy did not achieve true success until 2003, when Ya Salam was released. The first single, Akhasmak Ah, was the first video Nancy shot with director Nadine Labaki. Nadine had directed videos before for Pascale Machaalani and Katia Harb, but neither she nor Nancy had known the kind of success, fame, and controversy that arose from Akhasmak Ah's video. The catchy song and video, which depicted Nancy as a waitress/dancer at a local coffee shop, became Nancy's first pan-Arab hit and started her three-year professional relationship with Labaki, who recently received international acclaim for her debut film, Caramel. Though the album has some mediocre songs that try too hard to work in the boy band beats, there are more than a few good songs. Yay, an early Samir Sfair-Tarek Madkour hit, is one of the successful pop songs on the album, combining Samir's composition with some guitar, and a Far Eastern twang. Inta We Bas, composed by Ashraf Salem (the man behind much of Aline Khalaf's early success), is a fairly enjoyable once you get past the synth Mohamed Mostafa put in the intro as well. Salim Salameh composed three songs on the album, the hit ballad, Ya Salam, as well as the more upbeat Nassito Garho and Ahla Jaw. Often mistaken as Nancy's debut album, Ya Salam is worth listening to even if only for the hit singles (Akhasmak Ah, Yay, and Ya Salam). This collector's edition has been remastered by EMI, and the difference in sound quality is definitely noticeable when compared to the original Relax-In release.

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1. Akhasmak Ah
2. Nassito Garho
3. Yay
4. Inta We Bas
5. Ya Salam
6. Ahla Jaw
7. Einan Tara
8. Inta
9. Ashkaraballi

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Karol Sakr - Da'et Albak

Though Da'et Albak is her debut album, Karol Sakr is no stranger to music, having worked in her twenties with Hadi Sharara and other musicians. Karol even released an obscure French single before marrying and settling down. After her divorce, and (later on) marriage to friend Hadi Sharara, Karol returned to the music scene in duet with Assi Al Hillani, Ouli Jayeh. Three years later, Karol released Da'et Albak. Carrying Hadi Sharara's name on every song is a rarity in itself, but the list of composers doesn't pale in comparison either. The hit title song, composed by Melhem Barakat, is a relaxed and upbeat song that manages to go both East and West without slipping into the oriental jazz cliche. Ya Albi Rouq, composed by Tarek Abou Jaoudeh (before his split with Karol and Hadi), opens with a light mawal and then the song, a great mix of strings, electronic motifs, and guitar, begins. The diverse ballad ends with a traditional, more dramtic mawal with much heavier percussion. Bmout Alaik is by the same team as Nancy Ajram's Ehsas Jdid and Najwa Karam's Ta'a Khabbik, however Ufuk Yildirm also joins Hadi Sharara on the arrangement. Sahhart Eyouni, one of the album's biggest undertakings, is arranged by Hadi Sharara, Aytekin Kurt, and Elie Barbar. A completely different song than the previous three, Sahhart Eyouni combines both club and traditional Arabic beats, combined with strings by Group Gumedim from Turkey. Tammenteni, the album's sole Egyptian song, takes the same relaxed tone as Bmout Alaik. Shou Baddak and Hakini, both composed by Tarek Abou Jaoudeh, are more upbeat than Ya Albi Rouq, but also relatively relaxed oriental songs reminiscent of the majority of his work with Hadi Sharara. Wain Bla'ik is an almost completely electronic song, both composed and arranged by Sharara himself.

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1. Da'et Albak
2. Ya Albi Rouq
3. Bmout Alaik
4. Sahhart Eyouni
5. Tammenteni
6. Shou Baddak
7. Wain Bla'ik
8. Hakini

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Monday, October 13, 2008

Asalah - Awgat

Though Asalah had sung in the Gulf/Khaliji dialect numerous times before, she never experienced success with it at the scale of Awgat in 2004. Unlike her 2007 effort, the approach she took was extremely traditional, with the most foreign instruments in most of the songs being the odd synth and the focus in the majority of the songs being on the poetry. The album opens with the upbeat Tawwek Ala Bali and the hit Meta Ashoufek. Rawweh Ou Rouh is in Fayez El Sa'id's usual style, but stretches Asalah's vocals much more than Tawwek Ala Bali. Ya'coub Al Khubaizi's Ma Tewaqa't and Afwan, take a completely different route partly thanks to Egyptian arranger Amr Abdulaziz, who even incorporated clarinet into Afwan. Gemarhom Kellehom is an upbeat song about a jealous lover, that also became a successful single. Remsh El Ghala and La Salam pick up the pace again with faster and stronger percussion, though with a different feel than the first tracks on the album. Terfa' Jebinek, composed by Abdallah El Go'oud and arranged by Tarek Aakef, is slightly more relaxed but works in a lot more synth, in the arranger's signature style. Ma Gedar, another Khubaizi composition, starts like a slow pop song and then jumps into the traditional Khaliji beats. Awgat, composed by Mohamed Abdu and arranged by his Egyptian protégé Walid El Fayed, takes a completely different tone and feels like one of Abdu's own grand classics when it transitions from one style to another. Sadeq El Sha'er's beautiful Yes'ed Sabahak, a fifteen-minute ballad in the traditional Arabic tarab style, closes the album in the best way possible.

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1. Tawwek Ala Bali
2. Meta Ashoufek
3. Rawweh Ou Rouh
4. Ma Tewaqa't
5. Gemarhom Kellehom
6. Afwan
7. Remsh El Ghala
8. La Salam
9. Terfa' Jebinek
10. Ma Gedar
11. Awgat
12. Yes'ed Sabahak

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Saturday, October 11, 2008

Asalah - Sawaha Galbi

After the massive success of Awgat in 2004, Asalah promised another full-length Khaliji/Gulf dialect album. Three years on, and after the release of Aadi and Hayati, she released Sawaha Galbi in the summer of 2007. Despite a luckluster promotional campaign, and the fact Asalah didn't shoot a single video for the album, it was extremely well-received amongst its target audience. Unlike the very traditional Awgat, Sawaha Galbi modernizes and mixes in new styles with many of the songs. Asalah also worked with more female poets, and even a new female Saudi composer, Leil. The album opens with the most popular song, La Tekhaf, which mixes traditional beats and strings with an R&B feel. Tabi Tetrekni starts off like a jazz song, and transitions into the traditional beats, maintaining a slow pace throughout. Sawaha Galbi is the most unique song on the album, with rebab solos and composition and percussion that is very foreign to the ears of those who do not regularly listen to Khaliji music. Omnia is duller than the preceding tracks, but is listenable with nothing overly exciting or offensive. Kelmat Sheker is a poem that expresses a girl's love for her father, and so the music is secondary to the lyrics. Egreb Gerib and Dirat El Gherba (written/composed by the same team behind Rawweh Ou Rouh) are both quintessential Emirati songs, composed by Fayez El Sa'id, who is nominated for an MTV EMA this year. Talabtek takes a completely different tone; a ballad with powerful arrangement and the kind of composition that allows Asalah to truly put her vocals at work and shine. The album closes with another ballad, Shomoukh Ezi, which is written and composed by female Saudi poet Mo'taza and composer Leil, and arranged by Egyptian arranger Medhat Khamis. Asalah proved once again her mastery of Khaliji music, and how good music succeeds without being propped up by a music video or massive ad campaign.

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1. La Tekhaf
2. Tabi Tetrekni
3. Sawaha Galbi
4. Omnia
5. Kelmet Sheker
6. Egreb Gerib
7. Dirat El Gherba
8. Talabtek
9. Shomoukh Ezi

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Asalah - Hayati

After settling an ugly divorce, finally quitting smoking, and remarrying, Asalah released Hayati (My Life) in 2006. Hayati was, and remains, one of Asalah's most diverse albums. At its release, Asalah stated that each song she chose described a stage in her life. The first single, Aktar, was an instant hit, and was constantly played on TV, radio, and she was requested to sing it at every TV appearance or concert. Now one of her defining hits, Aktar was even remade by Turkish singer Jale Parıltı. The song was composed by Tamer Ali and arranged by Tamim, both of whom worked on Elissa's 2006 hit Bastannak. Arod Leih is Asalah's second collaboration with Amr Mostafa, and she made the dramatic ballad her second single. Ana Moush Sa'ba Aleik and Nassini Bik are stylistically similar, upbeat love songs. Asalah shot Bein Eideik on the beach with her husband, and made the song, which was composed by Ramy Sabry, a look at how she enjoyed her new life with her husband. Wehna Sawa, her first Algerian song, is composed by Mounir El Jazairi, the man behind Nawal's hit Tammen Galbak. Wallahi Ma Tahaddi (by Walid Saad & Karim Abdelwahab) was originally intended for Tamer Hosny, whose version was leaked, but ended up becoming Asalah's, and she more than did song justice. The album's sole Lebanese song, Alamtni (by Marwan Khoury & Hadi Sharara), is a slow, malancholic song which met with success for Asalah, who had not sung a Lebanese song since 2001. The title song was Asalah's first attempt at jazz, and combined with the lyrics, which spoke of her newfound liberation, it was well-received as the album's final single. The album won Asalah a Murex D'Or in 2007 for Best Female Arab Singer.

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1. Aktar
2. Ana Moush Sa'ba Aleik
3. Arod Leih
4. Alamtni
5. Hayati
6. Wehna Sawa
7. Bein Eideik
8. Nassini Bik
9. Wallahi Ma Tahaddi

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Asalah - Noss Hala

After the massive success of Hayati (2006) and Sawaha Galbi (2007), Asalah returned this year with another highly-anticipated album. Many new fans raved about the change of style, but diehard fans (like this listener) are underwhelmed to say the least. The CD opens with its first single, Wala Dari, an upbeat, already successful pop song that melds oud with Nsync-esque beats. Sadly, the album declines from there. Kan Wahm is a slow ballad, but not the good oriental kind that Asalah always hits a homerun with. Instead, the sleepy chorus brings the Spice Girls' Too Much to mind, which is definitely not a good thing. Ah Men Ainah picks up the pace, letting Asalah stretch her vocal muscles a bit, and passes with uninteresting arrangement. Etfarrag Ala Nafsak is the sort of song Asalah excels in, but forcing bongos and triangles on such an oriental song is ridiculous. Ba'ah Tabi'i Alaya gets more of the mediocre arrangement, and adds awkward percussion too, but the album picks up after this one. Aw'at is composed by Ramy Sabry, who is on Tarek Alarian's label, but it gets much better treatment than its stablemates, with more interesting strings and less awkwardness. Yesmahouli El Kel, penned by Siham Sha'sha' and composed by Jean-Marie Riachi, was talked about months before it's release and has already been queued as the next single. The song, like all of the songs Siham writes, is lyrically-focused, but Riachi manages to hold his own with upbeat violins, kanun, and ney. As she has done for the past decade, Asalah explores a new style here, after succeeding with jazz in 2006. Noss Hala is classically-influenced, and feels like a grand film or Broadway score. With so many regulars absent, it isn't hard to see how Asalah went wrong with this album. Closing with two great songs is hardly a victory, but Asalah never completely disappoints, and there's always next year.

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1. Wala Dari
2. Kan Wahm
3. Ah Men Ainah
4. Etfarrag Ala Nafsak
5. Ba'ah Tabi'i Alaya
6. Aw'at
7. Yesmahouli El Kel
8. Noss Hala

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Friday, October 10, 2008

Kadim Al Sahir - Sowar

Kadim Al Sahir, a.k.a. the Caesar of Arabic Song, hasn't put out an album like Sowar in years. Having garnered the majority of his success from grand songs that brought life to the poetry of the great Nizar Qabbani the past few years, many of Kadim's old fans missed the days when he sung songs that were purely Iraqi. Kadim's 2008 album consists of thirteen tracks, primarily in the Iraqi dialect, and mostly upbeat tracks he composed himself. The album opens weakly with Set El Helwat, which is too stylistically similar to Kadim's 2005 hit, El Ebnaya. Ensa El Aalam, the album's first single, picks the album up and sets a much more suitable tone. Akhiran, a slow ballad, takes the speed down a notch, but Alamak picks up where Ensa El Aalam left off and brings back the Iraqi percussion and playful lyrics. Teheb Tetdalla' and Sadaf are typical Kadim songs, with a pace that is not too slow, and expressive lyrics. Makheth El Rouh and Om El Sheila are also enjoyable songs with a traditional style, even incorporating the clapping typical of Iraq and the Gulf region. Tehebbeni and Sowar are the two Khaliji songs on the album, composed by Mohamed Shafiq. Aayel, an old Iraqi folk song, and Hat Hodnak round up the Iraqi songs on the album, and the album ends with a Nizar Qabbani poem, Ma'a Baghdadiya.

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1. Set El Helwat
2. Ensa El Aalam
3. Akhiran
4. Alamak
5. Teheb Tetdalla'
6. Om El Sheila
7. Makheth El Rouh
8. Sowar
9. Sadaf
10. Tehebbeni
11. Hat Hodnak
12. Aayel
13. Ma'a Baghdadiya

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Thursday, October 9, 2008

Carole Samaha - Oughniat El Toufoula

Carole Samaha began as an actress on the Rahbani stage, and acted in plays such as Akher Ayam Sokrat (The Last Days of Socrates), Abu Tayeb Al Mutanabi and Al Nizam Al Jadid (The New Order). Before she transitioned into mainstream pop, Carole sang Aasheqat Allah, an album of religious songs, and two singles, Be Sabah El Alf El Talet (by Mansour Rahbani) and Oughniat El Toufoula (by Mansour & Oussama Rahbani). This album serves as a good compilation of Carole's work with the Rahbani family. Coming predominantly from plays, many of the songs on this album tend to be lyric-focused. Oughniat El Toufoula and Be Sabah El Al El Talet are humanitarian songs, the former for children and the latter about peace (or the lack thereof). Oussama Rahbani's Ana Law Be'der Rouh La Indak is a purely oriental song reminiscent of Fairuz's early career. Two songs from Sokrat make it on to the CD; Wehyatak Dallak Elli, which incorporates an Eastern European feel, and La Ta'rif Issmi, which is mellower and more traditional. Ataf An'oud El Enab (from Al Nizam Al Jadid) and Eftahli El Bab are more typical of western theatre, thought the former is the more dramatic of the two.

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1. Oughniat El Toufoula
2. Be Sabah El Alf El Talet
3. Ana Law Be'der Rouh La Indak
4. Wehyatak Dallak Elli
5. Eftahli El Bab
6. Ataf An'oud El Enab
7. La Ta'rif Issmi

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Sunday, October 5, 2008

Assi Al Hillani - Al Qarar

Assi Al Hillani's 2002 album followed his hit 2001 album Etr El Mahabba. Assi works with Tarek Abou Jaoudeh and Boudi Naoum again, but works with Walid Saad for the first time, on Tahanina. The song En Kan Alaya (composed by Salim Salameh) also introduced the Grace Deeb to the Arab World, and she went on to release three successful solo albums. Enjoy the album in 256 Kbps or the requested 320 Kbps.

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1. En Kan Alaya
2. Habibi
3. Hobbak Nadani
4. Baitek Aal Darb
5. Aasheq Hal Jamal
6. Tahanina
7. Al Qarar
8. Nari Ou Thekrayati
9. Sayedati
10. Youm Youmein

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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Yara - Twassa Fiyeh

Yara, like Madeleine Matar, Amal Hijazi, Maya Nasri, and Nelly Makdessy, was a contestant on LBC's Ka's Al Nojoum. Years after her fellow contestants had begun their careers, Lebanese composer Tarek Abou Jaoudeh discovered her and took her on as his first "star". Yara debuted with a single, Hob Kbir, and followed it up with her first album, the hit Twassa Fiyeh. The album, which was still churning out hit singles for her a year after its release, carries the names of many talented musicians, including Abou Jaoudeh himself, Hadi Sharara, Khaled Ez, Bassem Yehia, and Ziad Boutros (Julia's brother). Yara has covered everything from ballads, Twassa Fiyeh and Hob Kbir, to upbeat maksoum, Law Basseli and Bala Eshq, and more vocally-demanding Arabic songs like Lamma Tettalla' and Alf Zayak. Great songs like Wana Ganbak, that did not get the spotlight when they were released, were later discovered thanks to the hit duet that Abou Jaoudeh got her with Fadl Shaker, which sparked a renewed and wider interest in the talented new singer.

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1. Bala Eshq
2. Law Basseli
3. Wana Ganbak
4. Hob Kbir
5. Lamma Tettalla'
6. Twassa Fiyeh
7. Nesitni Zaman
8. Alf Zayak
9. Ayam

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Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Sara Al Hani - Akher Arar

Happy Eid Al Fitr to all Tabbouche's patrons! Enjoy Sara Al Hani's debut album, Akher Arar, as our present this year. This much-requested album includes Sara's hit Karrahni Fik (composed by Walid Saad, arranged by Karim Abdelwahab) and a remake of Shadia's hit Khalas Misafer (composed by Baligh Hamdi, arranged by Yehia El Mogy). Enjoy, and make sure to go easy on the celebratory qahwa!

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1. Karrahni Fik
2. Sodfa
3. Ana El Ghaltana
4. Ad'i Aleik
5. Khalas Misafer
6. Akher Arar
7. Allemteni
8. Khayalak

Download Here
256 Kbps + Covers