Nawal Al Zoghbi - Yama Alou

Nawal Al Zoghbi's return was ill-timed with the breakout of the 2006 Lebanon War, but Egyptian record company Alam El Phan insisted on releasing the album that was to headline their summer catalogue. Though she had only been gone for two years, during which she released the hit singles Rouhi Ya Rouhi and Shou Akhbarak, Nawal's presence was sorely missed. Following up an album like Eineik Kaddabin is hard enough, but Yama Alou was released in the same year Elissa and Nancy's hit albums Bastannak and Ya Tabtab Wa Dalla' were, and faced stiff competition. It did not meet with the commercial success they did, but Nawal's album is pure quality.

The majority of the album is arranged by Amir Mahrous, with strings by Yehia El Mougi, unless otherwise stated. The oddball title song, composed by Mohamed Rahim, is instantly a case of love-it-or-hate-it. Amir Mahrous' mix of pop, sha'bi, and tarab in the arrangement characteristic of his style, and the song has guitar, rebab, and ney, with an infectiously catchy tune. Habbaitak is a rather tame love song, composed by Tarek Abou Jaoudeh. El Assi is a more downbeat ballad composed by Mohamed Refai, and the heartfelt lyrics are his signature. The hit Aghla El Habayeb is another catchy song, composed by Haitham Zayyad and arranged in a beautiful classical Arabic style by Tony Saba. Aadi is the album's sole Khaliji song. Composed by Abdallah El Gaoud and arranged by Tarek Aakef, it is nothing groundbreaking, but her best effort at the genre so far. Bta'refni Ana, composed Tarek Abou Jaoudeh and arranged by Michel Fadel, is a harmonious love ballad and everything from Nawal's voice to the piano and the accordion seem to be perfect. Betes'al is more of a chillout oriental song, with romantic lyrics from Hani Abdel Karim and and beautiful music from Walid Saad and Amir Mahrous. Ghib Anni Ghib is a cover of Turkish singer Hande Yener's Sen Yoluna Sen Yoluma, composed by Altan Çetin and arranged by Jean-Marie Riachi. Though it simply feels like a refined version of Hande's original, the feelings communicated in the other songs seem to be absent here. Akher Marra is modern tarab song, with a melancholic oud, sublime strings, deep lyrics, and beautiful composition on Walid Saad's part. Shou Akhbarak, Nawal's first Lebanese hit in a very long time, is another beautiful ballad. Composed by Nicolas Saade Nakhle and arranged by Michel Fadel, the song also has an air of the classics while still sounding clear and modern. Ayzak, composed by Walid Saad, begins as a classic ballad and transforms into a catchy sha'bi-style song. The album ends with Nawal's chilling tribute to Abdel Halim Hafez's Habibati Man Takoun, written by Prince Khaled bin Saoud and composed by the great Baligh Hamdi.

1. Yama Alou

2. Habbaitak

3. El Assi

4. Aghla El Habayeb

5. Aadi

6. Bta'refni Ana

7. Betes'al

8. Ghib Anni Ghib

9. Akher Marra

10. Rouhi Ya Rouhi

11. Shou Akhbarak

12. Ayzak

13. Habibati Man Takoun

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Various Artists - Dance H1ts

As simply as the title states, this album is a collection of some of the top Arabic hits released between 2006 and 2008, remixed into dance songs by Aytekin Kurt. The album opens with Tigi Mennak, originally a typical Madkour maksoum song, now remixed into a great dance song. Aytekin successfully transforms Ensa Elli Rah, Ayami Bik, Hayda Haki, Nwakel Aleik Rabbi, Aini Alaik, and Bihen, making you listen to them as if they were new again. The majority of the songs are great dance songs, what Aytekin does best, while Saber's is turned into a hip-hop song, and Amal and Wael's are turned into mellower, chillout songs. Aytekin keeps the original strings in many of the songs, keeping the oriental origins of the music intact. The less interesting songs, Eini Aal Gharam and Ana Wel Lail, were not remixed as smoothly, and Aletli Oul drowns the vocals out too much for this listener. Nasser El As'ad and Cem Erman collaborate on Nour El Sahar, taking Erman's Gümüş theme and turning it into a full-blown dance song, with Assi Al Hillani's expressive voice taking it to new places. Definitely one of the best compilations this year, Dance H1ts is for fans of dance and club music as well as those simply looking to rediscover the songs they love already.



1. Nawal Al Zoghbi - Tigi Mennak
2. Amr Diab - Aletli Oul
3. Najwa Karam - Hayda Haki
4. Elissa - Ayami Bik
5. Fadl Shaker - Ensa Elli Rah
6. Marwan Khoury - Ana Wel Lail
7. Ramy Ayach - Eini Aal Gharam
8. Saber Rebai - Nwakel Aleik Rabbi
9. Amal Hijazi - Aini Alaik
10. Wael Kfoury - Bihen
11. Assi Al Hillani - Nour El Sahar (feat. Melissa)
12. Sanawat Al Daya' (Music Remix)

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Nawal Al Zoghbi - Eineik Kaddabin

Nawal Al Zoghbi's 2004 album was arguably her peak, not that she hasn't produced a number of good songs the past four years, but as an overall album it reached a wide audience. After Elli Tmanneito, Nawal immediately went back to work on a new album that would return her to her former stature in the music business. The album was set to be released under the name of Be Einak, with that song being the expected hit. After Nawal heard Eineik Kaddabin from Mohamed Refai, however, she decided to push the album's release so she could record and include the song on it. The album proved to be her biggest album to date. Nawal managed to include something for each taste. Eineik Kaddabin, Law Wakhed Balak, Bihebbeni, Khallik Liya, and Khod Albi are thoroughly enjoyable, upbeat Arabic songs. Oyouni Oyouni is a Khaliji Arabic song, and Samah is for fans of Turkish Arabesk. Khalletni Ahebbak, Ana Baddi Eish, Be Einak mix more pop in. Tegma'na Sa'at has a Latin style to it, while Malleit has an R&B feel. Another notable difference Eineik Kaddabin has from its predecessor is the fact Nawal did not depend too much on the same musicians. For example, Tarek Madkour and Amr Mostafa only produced one song each for this album.



1. Eineik Kaddabin
2. Khalletni Ahebbak
3. Ana Baddi Eish
4. Be Einak
5. Tegma'na El Sa'at
6. Law Wakhed Balak
7. Oyoun Oyouni
8. Bihebbeni
9. Malleit
10. Khallik Liya
11. Samah
12. Khod Albi

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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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