Track List:
1. Bardo Sodfa
2. Menni Lik
3. Kelma Fi Albi
4. Ta'raf Tebtesem
5. Rah El Wafa (Mish Inta)
6. Gani We Alli
7. Ezay Ansak
8. Eyounak Shaghleh
9. Addet Sana
10. Adda Alaya
Download
Label: 2005, Aline Khalaf, Contemporary, download, Egyptian, Lebanese, melody
Label: 2002, Contemporary, download, Fares Karam, Janen, Lebanese, melody
Label: 2006, Contemporary, download, Egyptian, Khaliji, Lebanese, melody, Nancy Ajram
Label: 2005, Abeer Fadda, Contemporary, download, Egyptian, Khaliji, Lebanese, melody, Syrian
Label: 2005, Contemporary, download, Egyptian, Haifa Wehbe, Lebanese
Label: Compilation, Contemporary, Diana Haddad, download, Egyptian, Khaliji, Lebanese
Label: 2008, Contemporary, download, Egyptian, Khaliji, Lebanese, Myriam Faris
Label: 2005, Contemporary, download, Lebanese, Najwa Karam
Bassima began her career singing and reciting English and French songs, and when you listen to her graceful voice the western influence is evident. However, unlike the way Grace Deeb tends to do, she does not force the western vocal style on oriental songs, but rather compliments them, the way Asmahan did. Shou A Bali is one of, if not the, most successful albums she has released in her decade-long professional career. Samir Sfair, who was impressed with Bassima's voice, composed four of the six tracks, including the smash hit Shou A Bali. The title song and Souret El Hob are both typical pop ballads, though with different arrangement styles from Tarek Madkour and Hani Siblini respectively. The remaining four tracks are stellar, and much more traditional in terms of arrangement. Ah Yana and Ma Yhes El Garh are both moderately paced Egyptian songs. Etr El Madi and Mish Helwin are Lebanese songs composed by Samir Sfair, the former arranged beautifully by Hani Siblini and the latter with relatively generic arrangement from Nasser El As'ad (though the infectiously catchy composition shines through anyway). While Bassima is no stranger to success, Shou A Bali was a milestone in this down-to-earth singer's career.
Track List:Moin Shraif's excellent 2007 album was quickly forgotten, perhaps due to the lackluster title song, but it is undeniable how popular the singles that followed, As'ab Kelmeh and Rsamtak. Moin's album consists of 8 tracks, diverse in terms of both composition and arrangement. Nicolas Saade Nakhle's compositions were extremely well-received, but the overly repetitive title song is quickly overshadowed by Rsamtak, and the electrifying arrangement done by Hadi Sharara. Rawad Raad composes another two stellar songs on this album; a great ballad, As'ab Kelmeh, and Addait El Nejmat, a great dabke song arranged beautifully by Bilal El Zein. Mahmoud Khayami's compositions, El Omr Kello and Yama Alou Fik, are the least interesting songs, but listenable still thanks to Adel Aayesh's rich arrangement. The last two tracks are composed by Samir Sfair and arranged by Tarek Aakef, and are both great ballads that harken back to the duo's 1990s work.
track list:Label: 2007, Contemporary, download, Egyptian, Lebanese, Moin Shraif
Assi Al Hillani never made an album as diverse as Zghireh El Denyeh, and the success that followed was only natural. The album includes the smash hits Habibi Yalli Nasini, Senin, Ouli Jayeh, as well as Zghireh El Denyeh and an electronic remix of the the 2000 hit El Hawa Tayer. Though Tarek Abou Jaoudeh does not dominate this album (like he did Forset Omur), his work is stellar all the same on all four songs he composed: Habibi Yalli Nasini, Ouli Jayeh, Dayeb Fik, and Tarani. Whether its pure pop songs, like the title song or Dayeb Fik, dabke songs like Lamma Betkouni Ma'i and Ala Ain, or fusions like Habibi Yalli Nasini and Tarani, Zghireh El Denyeh is an album that doesn't disappoint. The list of musicians and arrangers Assi worked with is just as impressive, with arrangers Hadi Sharara, Jean-Marie Riachi, Boudi Naoum, and Ravi. Also on the list is İsmail Tunçbilek (on saz), Maher El Ali (ney and kawala), and strings by Jihad Akl, Raymond Nassif, and Orchestra Gundem from Turkey.
Label: 2004, Assi Al Hillani, Contemporary, Egyptian, Karol Sakr, Lebanese
Darine Hadchiti's third album is a solid effort from the young Lebanese singer. As always, Kel El Ossa boasts a stellar list of musicians, including Tarek Abou Jaoudeh, Hadi Sharara, Wissam El Amir, Roger Khoury, George Karam, Zaher El Baba, Mohamed Yehia, Walid Saad, Adel Aayesh, and Boudi Naoum. As is usually the case, Darine's album is quite lengthy, and so there are a number of great songs with not-so-great songs filling the gap. The album opens like her previous two, with a Tarek Abou Jaoudeh-Hadi Sharara collaboration. Meshta'a is another catchy song with an amazing fusion of Arabic and electronic music. The title song, an upbeat and fun Lebanese song composed by Wissam El Amir, follows. Kel El Ossa's arrangement is reminiscent of the style Roger Khoury used with his last collaboration with Wissam El Amir, on Melhem Zein's Alawwah. Next up is Ana Aheb (Fiha Eih Ya'ni), which is composed by one of the busiest men this year, Mohamed Yehia. Tarek Madkour's upbeat, poppy arrangement on this song is one of his better works this year. The album's first single, Rasi Ala Rasak, is an equally great song, thanks to both George Karam's upbeat composition and Boudi Naoum's fusion of pop with an Arabic beat and mizmar. Ma Bta'refni, composed by Zaher El Baba, is another enjoyable, upbeat song, even though the arrangement takes a backseat with nothing special. Hobbak Ghali Alaya, Darine's first Egyptian single, is fairly good although her vocals don't do much for the song. Darine Hadchiti's vocals are not necessarily bad, her failure to create a niche for herself is what holds her back, even after the release of her third album. Regardless of what you hear from others, Kel El Ossa is definitely worth a listen, with a number of good songs to be discovered.
Label: 2008, Arabic, Contemporary, Darine Hadchiti, download, Egyptian, Lebanese, melody, mp3, music
Nawal's long-awaited follow-up to Nawal 2006 has finally arrived, and it is definitely good. As always, Nawal has an infectiously catchy single, and the rest of the album is filled with well-chosen lyrics, and generally mellow music. Mou Liya, like El Shoug Jabek, Bi Yahsedouni Aleih, and Tammen Galbak before it, is infectiously catchy and goes places Nawal has never been before. After joining Nawal on his compositions like El Shou Jabek and Fel Bedaya, Mish'al El Orouj returns even more prominently in Mou Liya, although it is his only composition here. On this album, Nawal's Egyptian song is composed by Walid Saad, after working with the late Riyad El Hamshari on her past two albums. Bahraini arranger Sirouz has much more prominent presence on Nawal 2009 than any other arranger, a fact this listener doesn't like, but listening to the work Khaled Ez and Hani Farhat do on Hathi Jedida, Wein Antehi, and Khed'a, or İsmail Tunçbilek does on Mou Liya is gratifying enough to forget it. Sah is another beautiful song, combining Turki's meaningful lyrics with Sahm's skillful composition (which he already proved in Asalah's 2007 album, Sawaha Galbi), and Essam El Sharaiti & Hani Farhat's arrangement. Nawal 2009 caters to those who like the polished Nawal as much as it does to those who like the rougher, more old school Nawal.
Moroccan singer Hoda Saad's debut album is a mellow, mostly traditional one. Hoda skillfully sings in the Egyptian, Lebanese, and Khaliji dialects, as well as her native Moroccan dialect. Hoda's soft, feminine voice does not instantly distinguish itself, but it is good and well-employed throughout the album. Hoda works with some of the top names in the business, including Walid Saad, Salim Salameh, Mahmoud Khayami, and Mohamed Rifai. Looking like Egyptian songstress Sherine can't hurt either.
Mohamed El Majzoub was a favorite to win the second season of Rotana TV's Arab import of The X Factor. And not surprisingly, the 17-year-old Syrian won it. As promised, Mohamed went to work on his debut album, courtesy of Rotana, and one year later here it is. Like fellow X Factor winner Rajaa Qasabni before him, Mohamed works with Walid Saad, Salim Salameh, and Adel Aayesh. The album also maintains the same oriental feel throughout, with traditional instrumentation and only the title song using a pop beat. However, unlike Rajaa's album, Lebanese songs dominate this album and there is far more variety in terms of composers and arrangers with Hisham Boulos, Marc Abdelnour, Khalil Abou Abeid, and Dani Helou on board also. Rotana has produced another winner in Mohamed, and this album is definitely one of the strongest debuts in years.
Label: Arabic, Contemporary, download, Egyptian, Lebanese, melody, Mohamed El Majzoub, mp3, music
Pascale Machaalani's eleventh studio album, Sa'beh Eish... Men Dounak, was released in 2004. Apart from the odd intro or beat, the majority of the album is quite purist, working with strings and Arabic beats rather than chasing new trends. As we have come to expect from Pascale in the past few years, the majority of the album is arranged by Melhem Abou Shdid, and he did some of his best work here. With the exception of the title song, the album is written by Egyptian lyricists, and composed by both Egyptian and Lebanese composers, such as Tarek Abou Jaoudeh, Mostafa Aoud, Mahmoud Khayami, and Boudi Naoum (who brings a pop song to the table as usual). Pascale had many unforgettable hits with this album, such as Sa'beh Eish Men Dounak and Sana Oula Gharam, but many of the songs that weren't given the spotlight, like Ba'd Keda and Aal Youm El Youm, are equally great.
downloadLabel: Arabic, Contemporary, download, Egyptian, Lebanese, melody, mp3, music, Pascale Machaalani