Marwan Khoury - Asr El Shawq

Asr El Shawq is Marwan Khoury's third album, and it succeeded his first successful CD, 2004's Kel El Asayed. Like Kel El Asayed was, Asr El Shawq's songs are all written and composed by Marwan Khoury. However, unlike it's predecessor, which was arranged by Bilal El Zein, Asr El Shawq is arranged by Claude Chalhoub, Jean-Marie Riachi, Hadi Sharara, Adel Ayesh, Hani Siblini, and Mohamed Kebbe. Claude Chalhoub gives Asr El Shawq and Helweh El Hayat a classical air, while Hadi Sharara gives an upbeat electronic-influenced feel to La Tfakker. Mohamed Kebbe brings a mix of both classical and R&B on Ma Endon Khabar. Jean-Marie Riachi mainly arranges the more mellow or traditional-style songs on this album, like Khayef La Trouhi and We B'ellak Shou. The final track is an instrumental version of the hit Asr El Shawq by Claude Chalhoub on solo violin. Though Marwan Khoury is seemingly cursed by the inability to produce for himself the hits he has produced for so many Arab singers, this album is his most polished and enjoyable.



1. Asr El Shawq
2. Andi Sho'our
3. La Tfakker
4. Ma Endon Khabar
5. Khayef La Trouhi
6. Ya Men Bi Dam'i
7. Khallina N'ish
8. We B'ellak Shou
9. Helweh El Hayat
10. Asr El Shawq (Instrumental)

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Assi Al Hillani - Forset Omur

One of Assi's most successful albums, Forset Omur is a diverse and full of the many styles that he likes to explore and try. This album also marks his most extensive collaboration with Tarek Abou Jaoudeh, who composed six of the songs; Ghali, B'oul Ma B'oul, Shou Habbaina, Forset Omur, Bhebbek Inti, and Rif El Ain. The hit Ghali is Assi's first song with electronic dance accents, albeit with Hadi Sharara's signature breaks of Arabic percussion and strings throughout. Recorded in Beirut, Cairo, and Istanbul, with Arab and Turkish musicians, Assi is serious and passionate about his music and oversees every aspect of it. Some songs, like Ghali, benefit from the Turkish Gundem string orchestra, while others, like Rif El Ain and Forset Omur, incorporate Turkish-style baglama or clarinet. B'oul Ma B'oul and Shou Habbaina combine more east and west, with powerful strings and both western and strong Arabic beats. As for Assi's own compositions, Ma Marrani Tab'ek, Set El Settat, and Marreit Janb Kheyamahom have creative lyrics and more traditional Arabic arrangement, with ney, mizmar, and oriental percussion.



1. Ghali
2. B'oul Ma B'oul
3. Shou Habbaina
4. Set El Settat
5. Ma Marrani Tab'ek
6. Forset Omur
7. Eddami Eyoun
8. Marreit Janb Kheyamahom
9. Bhebbek Inti
10. Rif El Ain
11. Ya'ni Eih

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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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Dina Hayek - Ta'a La Albi

When Dina Hayek's third album was released in 2006, it had large shoes to fill. Dina's wildly successful Katabtellak album had singlehandedly made her into the star she had become. In Dina's usual style, Ta'a La Albi is made up of slow ballads for the most part. The majority of the album is composed by Salim Salameh and Samir Sfair, the composers behind her defining hits, Katabtellak and Darb El Hawa. In addition to the aformentioned, Mahmoud Khayami and Wajdi Nakhle round up the list of composers, which is less diverse than her previous album. Ta'a La Albi is deserving of the album title, it is a slow but engaging song with great arrangement that uses ney and powerful strings. It's worth noting that Israeli singer Sarit Hadad sampled the strings on her song Tetzi Me'Ha'Kalim. Mar El Helou, the most upbeat song on the album, is an uplifting song with extensive use of the rabab. Ma Baddi Trouh is another great song, combining great lyrics, composition, and arrangement. Bahlam Be Rjou'ak succeeds with a similar formula and style, but Ufuk Yildirim joins Nasser El As'ad on the arrangement, which is less simplistic than Ma Baddi Trouh. Wallahi Tayeb is unlike anything Dina has sung before, with a classic tarab feel, and it takes a while to appreciate it. Beini We Beinak, which was originally chosen as the second single, has a different, more pop-influenced style from the rest of the album, though it's not necessarily a good thing. Shou Bkhaf, Dari Eineik (Meyat Haga), are stylistically similar, using mostly traditional arrangement and starting off slow then building up to a faster pace. Baddi Habibi, another Samir Sfair-Tarek Madkour collaboration, was an instant hit and is a much more enjoyable pop song than Beini We Beinak. A revamped take on the hit Darb El Hawa is also included, dropping the ballad theme for a more fast-paced electronic feel. The album did not garner the sales its predecessor did, and was the beginning of Dina's disputes with Rotana, whom she believed gave her inadequate advertising. After they refused her a concert at the Hala February festival in Kuwait, Dina finally left Rotana, feeling the company's apathy was having a negative effect on her career. She has since released three singles on various labels.



1. Ta'a La Albi
2. Mar El Helou
3. Dari Eineik (Meyat Haga)
4. Darb El Hawa (Remix)
5. Beini We Beinak
6. Wallahi Tayeb
7. Shou Bkhaf
8. Khalas Ertaht
9. Ma Baddi Trouh
10. Bahlam Be Rjou'ak
11. Baddi Habibi

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Asalah - Ya Sabra Yana

Though Asalah had performed in Syria with her father, the great Mostafa Nasri, and garnered a small following there, she was still unknown to the rest of the Arab World. After a period of mourning, Asalah finally returned to the music scene. Asalah's debut album Law Ta'rafouh was a huge hit that launched her into the Egyptian music scene in 1991. The album was then released again in 1992 under the title of Ya Sabra Yana, which had succeeded even more than the original title song. The four tracks are lengthy tarab songs with the a great traditional feel. The lyrics are mostly sorrowful songs of love. Almost a decade after their initial release, these songs are still remembered and Asalah sings Samehtak Ketir in particular at many of her concerts.



1. Ya Sabra Yana
2. Law Ta'rafou
3. Hat Albi
4. Samehtak Ketir

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Rouwaida Attieh - Khissamak Mur

Syrian singer Rouwaida Attieh was one of the favorites to win the first season of Superstar from the beginning of her run. Rouwaida made it to the finals and took second place, losing to Jordanian contestant Diana Karazon. However, she signed a record deal with Al Shams Arts as soon as the program had ended and her debut album came soon after. Though the album underwhelmed fans, Rouwaida did not waiver and returned in 2006 with a less rushed album, Khissamak Mur. Unlike her previous album, which was composed solely by Imad Shamseddine, the new album added veterans like Salah El Sharnoubi, Walid Saad, George Marderosian, Nizar Abdallah, Riyad El Hamshari, and Wissam El Amir to the roster also. Like Imad Shamseddine, Marderosian was and El Amir is an instrumental part of Najwa Karam's career. Like she did in her previous album, Rouwaida leans more towards slow and/or melancholic songs. Khissamak Mur, Waheshni Wallah, Rah Fein El Hob, are all slow, classic-style songs. Arguably the album's best song, Jerouhi is in the typical Saoud El Sharbatli/Wissam El Amir collaboration style. The song starts with a mawal and then swtiches to a much faster pace, similar to the duo's work on Najwa Karam's Ya Dounya and Ammant Galbi. For those who like dabke, Rouwaida does not disappoint (like she did in her previous album). Ala El Mani and Oloub Melyaneh, both instant hits, are in the dabke style which her sublime voice excels in.



1. Ala El Mani
2. Ma Hallak
3. Jerouhi
4. Tawe'li El Alam
5. Ana Man
6. Ensa
7. Oloub Melyaneh
8. Rah Fein El Hob
9. Waheshni Wallah
10. Khissamak Mur

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Dania - The Best of Dania

This album is a compilation of Dania's first three albums, Dania, Dania 2, and El Hilwa Di, as well as her Listen to My Heart single. Her 2008 comeback single, Rayah Albak, is not on here though. While Dania did not have many of "her own" hits, she brought life back to a vast number of old Arabic folk songs, and sang in countless styles with international musicians. Foug El Nakhal is an Iraqi folk song, and is remixed here by Said Mrad and Dani Helou. El Hilwa Di (Coucou) is another old song by Sayed Darwish (the Egyptian musician behind Dalida's international hit Salma Ya Salama). Though the song has been reinterpreted many times, Dania and Jean-Marie Riachi's version became an international club hit and the original, as well as two of the countless remixes are included here. Ya Dallah, which is one of Lebanese songstress Sabah's biggest hits, is remixed into an Arabic-dance fusion song by Phillip Khayat. Yalla Bina, which has been remixed by Dalida and Ishtar Alabina before, gets an Indian-style remix here. UK DJs Transglobal Underground's remix of Leiley is in their typical world fusion style, keeping the original strings while mixing in Indian and electronic beats. Para No Verte Más and Cha Cha Cha, both La Mosca Tsé-Tsé songs, as well as Fiesta are the album's Latin-sounding songs. Private Number (a duet with 911) and Listen to My Heart are both in English, though the latter is not a translation of El Hilwa Di. Afrahou Gannouh and La Tehtar are both Greek songs remade by Dania, one is an upbeat laika song and the other a ballad. Ya Akhed Akley, another great Arabic-western fusion, and Ana Baddi, the most traditional-style song on the album, are the two original Dania songs on the album.



1. Foug El Nakhal (1001 NIGHTSociety Remake)
2. Cou Cou (Beirut Biloma Chillout Version)
3. Leiley (Transglobal Underground Remix)
4. Yalla Bina (Bhangra Remix)
5. El Hilwa Di (Coucou)
6. Ya Dallah
7. Fiesta
8. Para No Verte Más
9. Ya Akhed Akley
10. La Tehtar
11. Mafeesh Tari'a (99 Remix)
12. Cha Cha Cha
13. Afrahou Gannouh
14. Ana Baddi
15. Private Number (with 911)
16. Listen to My Heart (Cou Cou)

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Hekmat - Nefsi Akoun Horra

Moroccan singer Hekmat launched her musical career with a hauntingly beautiful song composed and written by Marwan Khoury, and arranged by Claude Chalhoub. Hawel (Try) was accompanied by a simplistic video filmed in Morocco, and directed by Alain Charles Beau. Her talent, and refusal to use her body to sell CDs, earned her comparisons to fellow Moroccan chanteuse Jannat. Like Jannat, Hekmat sings primarily in the Egyptian dialect, with the exception of Hawel. However, Hekmat's voice is more mature and diverse. Ma Basaddaq Had Yegib Sirtak and Bahebbak are maksoum songs, the latter mixing in some pop beats while the former sticks with more traditional instruments. The second single, Gharib El Hal, starts off as a pop song and then mixes in Arabic percussion, mizmar, and rabab. The result is a relaxed and very enjoyable song. The mellow Eideik Khayna is a rarity, it is composed by Marwan Khoury but written by Egyptian lyricist Baha'eddine Mohamed and arranged by Wissam Moumtaz (also Egyptian). Ettafa'na Aal Ekhlass (We Agreed on Fidelity) has more upbeat music, but Hekmat's melancholy voice delivers the sad message in the lyrics. Nefsi Akoun Horra (I Want to be Free) suffers from slightly cheesy arrangement, but the lyrics, which have nothing to do with the plight of love, are a welcome change in the album's lyrical style. The slow Hewar and Farhana are the duller songs of the album, but not necessarily bad songs either. Rumors of Hekmat's retirement from music circulated late last year, however Hekmat, who was never in the public eye much, has neither confirmed nor refuted the rumors.



1. Ma Basaddaq Had Yegib Sirtak
2. Hewar
3. Gharib El Hal
4. Eideik Khayna
5. Farhana
6. Bahebbak
7. Ettafa'na Aal Ekhlass
8. Nefsi Akoun Horra
9. Hawel (Bonus)

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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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Magida el Roumi - E'tazalt El Gharam

Talented, outspoken, patriotic, and a UN Goodwill Ambassador, Magida el Roumi has become one of Lebanon's, and the Arab World in general, most significant personalities. At the beginnings of her career, many thought that the young Studio Al Fan winner sought to compete with Fairuz. Like Fairuz, she was mixing East and West in her style, and primarily sang in classical and Lebanese Arabic. She was also the daughter of Halim El Roumi, the producer who gave Fairuz her stage name, put her on the air, and introduced her to the Rahbani family. Though both were influenced by Western music, Fairuz introduced jazz into her music with Ziad Rahbani, while Magida's style was influenced by classical Western music. Her signature style, melding beautiful classical Arabic poetry with music that combines the best of classical Arabic and Western music, produced many hits like Kalimat and Kon Sadiqi. Magida excels in the traditional tarab style, but she is also a soprano and has several operatic songs, like a rendition of the Ave Maria and her duet with Jose Carreras, Light the Way.

E'tazalt El Gharam (I Have Retired from Love) was a welcome return for Magida to the mainstream music scene in 2006. Both of her 2003 albums, Cithare Du Ciel and Erhamni Ya Allah, were religious ones, and her last secular album, Ouhibbouka Wa Ba'd, was released in 1998. This album was both familiar and new for Magida, with musicians she has worked with for over a decade and others for the first time. Al Hob Wal Wafa' (Love and Fidelity), composed by Dr. Abdelrab Idriss, is a poem in classical Arabic and reminiscent of Magida's early work with the great Yemeni-Saudi composer. Idriss' other song, Fi Lailika Al Sari, Halim El Roumi's Latin-twinged Ya M'azeb Albi, Joseph Khalife's operatic Sawfa Nabqa, and Ihsan El Mounzer's Kif are all also in the signature style of her previous albums, melding the beauty of classical music from the East and West. On the other hand, E'tazalt El Gharam was her first collaboration with Melhem Barakat. Along with its broadway-inspired video, it became one of 2006's biggest hits. Magida collaborated with Marwan Khoury (Ghanni Lel Hob and Ouhibbouka Jiddan), Jean-Marie Riachi (composed Bel Alb Khallini and arranged tracks 1-4), Claude Chalhoub (arranged Ghanni Lel Hob), and İsmail Tunçbilek (arranged Al Hob Wal Wafa' and Fi Lailika Al Sari) for the first time. She also sang an Arabic rendition of Adagio, titled Habibi, and Mendelssohn's Wedding March, titled Nashid El Zafaf (The Wedding Song).



1. Ouhibbouka Jiddan
2. Habibi
3. E'tazalt El Gharam
4. Bel Alb Khallini
5. Kif
6. Ghanni Lel Hob
7. Al Hob Wal Wafa'
8. Nashid El Zafaf
9. Fi Lailika Al Sari
10. Ya M'azeb Albi
11. Sawfa Nabqa

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