Nancy Ajram - Ya Tabtab... Wa Dalla'

After two hit albums in a row, Nancy's fifth album was one of the most highly-anticipated releases of 2006. With more upbeat maksoum songs, and just a few, albeit excellent, ballads, Ya Tabtab has a bit of everything. The title song, which has been remade into Greek by Kelly Kelekidou, kicks off the album in the same playful spirit as Ah We Noss. As the album progresses, the diverse list of composers is evident. Most of the maksoum songs, Ya Tabtab (Tarek Madkour), Ana Yalli Bhebbak (Samir Sfair), Mo'gaba (Walid Saad), Ashteki Menno (Hamdi El Sediq), and Ya Si El Sayed (Walid Saad), are arranged by Tarek Madkour. Though Madkour is frequently criticized for "recycling" ideas, his work here is good and each song has its own flavor, incorporating synths into some, accordion in others, or sticking simply to violins. The ballads, Ehsas Jdid (Salim Salameh), Meshtaga Leik (Yacoub Al Khubaizi), Elli Kan (Walid Saad) and Oul Hansaki (Hassan Abou El Saoud) are even more diverse, with a different arranger in charge of each. On Ehsas Jdid, Hadi Sharara combines the best of both East and West as usually, mixing piano with bouzouk, darbouka, and strings. Elli Kan is some of Karim Abdelwahab's best, and most oriental, work so far. Amr Abdelaziz gives Meshtaga Leik light percussion (for a Khaliji song) and the pop treatment, which Nancy tends to in most of her albums. Oul Hansaki is a classic ballad, with heartfelt lyrics, and typical arrangement from Mohamed Mostafa. Even the songs that did not get the limelight, like Sabrak Alaya (Walid Saad) and Law Dallalouni (Suhail Fares) are well-composed and enjoyable. Ya Tabtab was one of Nancy's most successful and most commercialized albums too, with five of the songs used for jewelry, Coca-Cola, and perfume ads.



1. Ya Tabtab Wa Dalla'
2. Ehsas Jdid
3. Mo'gaba
4. Meshtaga Leik
5. Ana Yalli Bhebbak
6. Ashteki Menno
7. Oul Hansaki
8. Elli Kan
9. Ya Si El Sayed
10. Sabrak Alaya
11. Law Dallalouni

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Nancy Ajram - Ah We Noss (Collector's Edition)

If Ya Salam as Nancy's first taste of fame, Ah We Noss laid the foundation for the singer who was about to become one of the Arab World's biggest acts. Unlike her previous album, which succeeded thanks to its three wildly successful singles, Ah We Noss was full of excellent songs. Many collaborators return, such as Samir Sfair (tracks 7, 8, & 11), Mohamed Saad (Oul Tani Eih), Tony Saba (tracks 3 & 6), Adel Aayesh (Ta'ala Ya), Tarek Madkour (tracks 1, 4, & 7), and Mohamed Mostafa (Ana Leih). Nancy also worked with several musicians for the first time, like Tarek Aakef (tracks 8 & 11), Mahmoud Khayami (Baddala' Aleik), Walid Saad (Hobbak Liya), Fadi Saad (Sana Wara Sana), Khaled Jenaid (Ta'ala Ya), Medhat Khamis (Hobbak Liya), Mohamed Rahim (Ana Leih), and Tarek Abou Jaoudeh (Lawn Eyounak). Colossal hits like Ah We Noss, Lawn Eyounak, Oul Tani Eih, and Inta Eih need no introduction, but everyone has their own personal favorites as well among the remaining tracks (like mine, Baddala' Aleik). This remastered, repackaged version of Nancy's hit 2004 album gives the audio the quality and clarity it deserves.



1. Ah We Noss
2. Baddala' Aleik
3. Lawn Eyounak
4. Oul Tani Eih
5. Ta'ala Ya
6. Sana Wara Sana
7. Inta Eih
8. Gaiyin Ye'oulouli
9. Ana Leih
10. Hobbak Liya
11. La Teloum

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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.



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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Nancy Ajram - Betfakkar Fi Eih?!

Nancy Ajram's heavily anticipated sixth album has been two years in the making. The result, like any artist of her popularity, has been received with mixed reviews. Although Nancy ventures farther into western pop than ever before in her career, her new album caters to a vast audience, with something for everyone. Betfakkar Fi Eih?!, composed by Mohamed El Nadi (who recently composed Leih Moushta'alak for Nawal Al Zoghbi), mixes up Nancy's usual maksoum style with electric guitar. The first Hadi Sharara-Walid Saad collaboration is an interesting affair for fans both the Lebanese arranger and the Egyptian composer, who have both worked with Nancy previously, but on separate songs. Min Dah Elli Nsik is what you would expect from this trio, dramatic composition with diverse, though erratic at times, arrangement. Min Ghairi Ana, the new Coca-Cola anthem for the Middle East, has already proven popular, though it does not appeal much to this listener. Safer (Ana Rouhi Ma'ak) is new territory for Nancy, whose ballads usually take on a western flavor. Saharni Sahar and Mashi Haddi are great upbeat maksoum songs, and are Nancy's first collaboration with Hamid El Sha'eri, who arranges both. The aforementioned, and Baladiyat (Ana Menno), which adds mizmar to the mix, are all great oriental dance songs. Lamset Eid reunites the team from Ehsas Jdid (Fares Iskandar, Salim Salameh, and Hadi Sharara) in a more dramatic but equally enjoyable song. Liya Haq is Nancy's first venture into R&B, and Wana Bein Eideik (Akbar Men Keda) is quintessential pop. Zaman Kan Andi Alb, another song which did not appeal to this listener, is rumored to be Nancy's next single. Nancy reunites with Tarek Aakef, who was absent from her previous album, who arranges the two songs most different from the the rest of the album. Khafef Alaya, composed by Dr. Abdelrab Idriss, is a quirky Gulf/Khaliji song with a different feel from 2006's Meshtaga Leik. The album ends with Betigi Sirtak, Nancy's most nostalgic song to date, which is likely a response to the great reaction her rendition of Aziza Jalal's Mestanniyak received last year.



1. Betfakkar Fi Eih?!
2. Min Dah Elli Nsik
3. Min Ghairi Ana
4. Safer (Ana Rouhi Ma'ak)
5. Saharni Sahar
6. Baladiyat (Ana Menno)
7. Zaman Kan Andi Alb
8. Lamset Eid
9. Liya Haq
10. Ebn El Giran
11. Wana Bein Eideik (Akbar Men Keda)
12. Khafef Alaya
13. Mashi Haddi
14. Betigi Sirtak

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