Jay Sean Gives Lebanon A Night To Remember

Jay Sean, is a British singer-songwriter, rapper, beatboxer and record producer who likes the club scene. Lebanese like anyone who likes the club scene to they invited him to party with them at home. He brought the party to Lebanon and the video will show you as much.

Locals and tourists flocked the concert to enjoy what Jay ha sin store for them. The song of a Punjabi Sikh immigrant in the always evolving city of London. Jay was never meant to be a singer, he was in medicine school before he dropped out to sing professionally.

They added the fashion show to his concerts and those Lebanese party goers who like a drink and a good beat. I checked out some of his tracks, the go makes good club mix and he has a likable personality. See the story from his concert and the interviews with the folks who are among his biggest fans.

 Jay Sean يلهب ليل مدينة جبيل

Saudi Rakan (راكان) Not The Other Man

Saudi Arabia is changing, one of the faces of this change is fresh Saudi pop prince Rakan. The boyish looking singer who is ever proud of his motherland by sporting the national dress and head gear in his music videos. But he also incorporates the same music that his country has known for close to a century--the drums.

His lyrics read like a conservative love poem, so there's not major trouble with this young man who is introducing generations of Arabs to Saudi music. He does Incorporated various hip elements of dance, computer affects and CG into his music videos. He is that funky kid that has always manged to impress his fans with how cool he has manged to become.

One thing, I like about Rakan is that he does not push the envelop too far, he tries to do cool things, with a local flavor. He is the star many young people look up as he gives them more reasons to be proud of. I know I personally like his very Saudi Dance moves.

Rakan Weily weily - راكان ويلي ويلي

Aside From Her Fake Egyptian Accent, Mais Hamdan Is Cool

Mais Hamdan is a funny gal who does a great job hosting a number of shows in Egyptian TV. She has moved over to acting, and she seems to have song alright in that. But I never thought she should be singing, I do not like her performance and I think her vocals are not that strong.

Having said that, there's a sweet hint in her voice, so it's not all bad. Checkout her new single song, a song she recorded for a show where she is also starring. A drama about living in upper Egypt in the country side. Mais does a very fine job in impersonating singer, she has even upset some of them

Mais grew up in Jordan, so for her to try to speak with an Egyptian accent is a bit laughable. She has offended Egyptians few Ramadans ago when she told a joke that pissed off some people. Anyhow she is still in business as you can tell by this song. Mais will also appear not in one TV dramas, but in three this Ramadan.
Mais Hamdan - Yabo Shal (Al-Nar w El-Tayeen) Song

Sally: A Bimbo And a Womanizer Walk Into A Bar

She is acting like a bimbo on screen to tell us the guy she likes is a womanizer. I do not know which one is worse, using sex is a marketing strategy or seducing women for fun. Sally sings about how is is quitting the love game, and how she is much prettier than the other girl

The best part about the song is the dialect the lyrics are written in, the music is upbeat but I cannot say it's something new. The fact is Sally is drop dead gorgeous. She has an album where she tries to appeal to the rich Gulf market. She is from Lebanon, hoping for a slice of the pop pie

Sally - Zeer L Nessa' / سالي - زير النساء

Is Lebanese Singer Elissa Really That Happy?

Elissa gave an interview few days ago where she said, had she wanted to get married, she would have done so a very long time ago. She wishes her latest album to win another world music award--she already has won three titles. Then she spoke about the album being a winner. While most of her fans and critics agree, the album is really sad.

It's too much for the moment when we see death all around  us due to revolutions and what's not. People needed something happy, not 8 tracks of drama breakups and tragedy. Then her concert in Algeria almost got canceled, and not a word was mentioned--we had a leaked photo from the concert for Elissa. But no one wrote much about it.

Elissa is still single by choice--I do not think this is a good thing. She has picked some fights most recently with Haifa Wahbe and Shatha Hassoun. But she has also performed in a Beirut concert. Before she got on the stage Bassem Faghali mocked her on stage--she was cool this time. Among the attendees were Eli Saab- a fashion designer she loves; Wael Kfoury he buddy and pal; Simone Asmar--the guy who discovered her; Siham Shis'asha who has written a number of songs for Elissa; Joumana Abu Eid, the TV personality.

Elissa made a good album, the jury is still out on it. in the concert she had glow, and she showed some serious cleavage. The concert had many surprises including inviting the composer of one of the latest songs in her album. Wael turned down an invitation form Elissa to get up on the stage and do a song with her.

أليسا أسعد واحدة على الرغم من صدّ وائل لها

Bosy Ah Ya Donia 2012 Album البوم بوسي - اه يادنيا Street Music In Cairo

Bosy wants to be an "it" girl, street festivals and local music are common in Egypt and they have gone mainstream, they tended to be the business of males until Bosy broke the mold and started jamming with the boys, she hit it big and eventually left those circles and got her debut mini album with four track

01.Ah Ya Donia, the hit song of the album, was featured in a popular thug life movie "Al-Almany", made it big in Egypt in the anti-intellectual circles.
02.Saytra, a song stoners will relate too, a lot of shouting and local poor areas beat. Not going to be on TV, but those songs all sound the same--if it was not for the lyrics.
03.Get Ala El Garh, a sad song about life and not having a good luck in it. Poor people like cab drivers, street vendors and under-employed will find something in this song.
04.La w La, a happier song that you can play at your next wedding, a spunky song form a lady who is overjoyed by the wedding they have, telling the other folks, that they are not cool as she is.

I do think the cover art is pretty clever, what it does not do is connect the singer with her art form. She looks like a pop star in LA! Not a street artist who has to deal with a lot of shitty things.

 اغنيه بوسي اه يا دنيا - من فيلم الالماني

Saad Ramadan Sings Like A Star, Talks Like A Drug Junkie

I like his music but I love to hate the way he talks. It might be the Lebanese thing, why do people like Saad Ramadan talk like they have been given some kind of drug? The guy is hot, the guy is smart, and he makes good music. He had half a dozen of concerts this summer and his biggest were in Algeria--a country he did not know he was known in.

So he sat down with Elaph and talk about his success and his hard work. I do not like the bit when he talks about his plans and activities, he should stick to music and romance. His talking pattern might alienate some people. His new album should be dropping by soon.

سعد رمضان نجاح ممتد من الجزائر الى الجنوب اللبناني

Marwa Nasr Post Marriage Song "Beit Wahed" / مروة نصر - بيت واحد

Marwa Nasr has gotten married to some music producer, and they had a big bash and they never said they were getting married...they invited folks over for an engagement party and then the wedding started. Her latest single is meant to tell us all that she has gotten what she has thought and prayed about.

Put that aside for a second, and now she is ready to tell you about the moment they have become one and have moved into the same place together---hopefully forever. I liked Marwa few years ago, and I think her voice is entertaining, she might be a one note vocalist. She has a comfort zone.

The ladies and the confused males would love this song, your average Moe might not relate too it....so we are getting married he says! The song is about dreaming about Mr. right, Marwa has a lot to say about that, she did hire a model to fill in for her husband.

Marwa Nasr - Beit Wahed / مروة نصر - بيت واحد

Sara VS Nasser ساره و ناصر Rap VS Pop

Duets can be often off the cob which to say they are corny. Part of making a duet is showing that you believe and if you have to put an act, you should not hesitate.

Here's a music video that will not have you think corny. A Jordanian rapper who appeared on Star Academy wears customs and peacocks as he tries to stand out from the pack. She is young and mature, she is also Egyptian or sounds like one. A grownup girl gets to meet the childish dude, this ought to be fun to watch

The clip is made by a guy who watched a lot of blockbuster movies. Spider-man, Batman, 300, the Matrix, X-Men and sponge Bob. Why is Nasser shouting and getting worked up so bad? There is some cute battling between pop and rap. I like Nasser walking around in his underwear showing off his guns. Watch any giggle

Adar Tetadar - Sara VS Nasser قدر تتقدر - ساره و ناصر

Listen: Wael Kfoury 2012 Album البوم وائل كافورى يا ضلى يا روحى

If your comeback album of 4 years has only 8 tracks, I think it's safe to say that as a star you might have to ask yourself "Do I still got it it?" Now, we want you all out there to buy original albums, and I know this is not cool when an album that you have been waiting for comes with this number of songs. But to his credit, he did not include any of his many singles he has released on the span of two years.

Now the cat is out of the bag and Lebanese romance/pop singer Wael Kfoury has released his album with Rotana. He has been holding the album for more than two years on the hopes he finds a good distributor. Now the album has landed and I am not disappoint in the material, it's still too early to call those kind of shots, but in the song count.

8 tracks was the right number for cassette albums, not songs on CD. Most opt for 10 to 12 tracks, an 8 and 4 years to make does not tell much. Let's be honest, if a lady wants to be serenaded, she would want Wael to be the guy to do that. He sounds like he has a lot of love and faith to give. Not sure if the guys still think he has the halo he once had, but his fans might tell a different story.

01.Enta Falait
02.Gharabook
03.Hal Ad Bahebak
04.Hata Naltaki
05.Mesh Masmouh
06.Safha We Tawaita
07.Wailk Mn Allah
08.Ya Dale Ya Rohi

Wael Kfoury - Ya Deli ya Rou7i new 2012

LISTEN: Dolly Shahine Sings For The Neglected Arab Kid

Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Palestine are the two placed where Dolly Shahine (Chahine)  puts to shame. The song is about children rights and their plight. The Lebanese singer is going into details about the struggles of children in those places. She is asking people to love those little creatures an dgive them more atention.

Make your hugs a home for them, I like the subject and think it's timely. But I do believe this is not the perfect song for Dolly's voice. It really does not do her justice. I am impressed that she took on the question of Syria and about the murder of many children there--she is not blaming one side or another.

So Dolly, gets credit for raising attention to this neglected subject, it buys her good well among her peers and gets her on the radio. She has been missing for some time now and has not taken parts in any concerts, movies or music projects for some time now. This is a good time

دوللي شاهين تغني لـ أطفال الشوارع


 اغنية دوللى شاهين - اطفال الشوارع | Dolly Shahine - Atfal El Shaware3

Hang In There Syria, We Are Singing For You

Syria is a mess, and there are good people on both sides of the conflict. It's clear the Islamists do not heart the regime and want to see it collapse. And the regime has been brutal at some points, and so had the opposition. I do not know what's right and what's wrong anymore, but to help you figure out the ordeal, here's a song.

This is a Nasheed, a music fashioned to more conservative Muslims. The vocalist is Jehad Hassan who is accompanied by a chorus. The song is about not giving up and losing hope. It's about justice and calling for help from the free people of the world. I am always for freedom, and I think as a song, this is a rich song. Music and lyrics are superb and the vocalist sounds really good.

سوريا ما تيأسي | اداء جهاد حسن - فرقة نغم الانشادية

What;s Up With Those Motorcycles Bassel Eid?

Abbouta is not a real word, and that's a warning sing from Lebanese young singer with the name Bassel Eid. The song offers no complex vocal showcase. It's a bland song with a music video that has bikes and on a beach.

I like that Bassel has brought some jeans for the clip and brought a lot of dudes for the filming. He is schooling his girl in the many ways he thinks she needs him and most of his lines end with the rhym outa. Not everyone loves this song in Beruit, but it's a silly song with a catchy beat. 

The song sounds like a hit with teenagers who have never spoken to a girl in their young years. I know some out there have called it a song for children. Sure the beat has its moments. The singer loses me when he speaks about women freedom.

Bassel Eid - Abbouta / باسل عيد - عبوطة

"Layalina" 2012, The Album No One Asked For

The marketing monkeys at Rotana met with the department of packing old crap no body cares about and together they put forth an album that offers nothing new and nobody seems to have noticed it. The singers come from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Iraq and they sing in different dialects.

 In this day and age, you cannot get away with releasing an album with 6 tracks of no original material and no theme. What does Elissa have to do with Majid Al Mohandis and Rashid Al Majid? and what does Carol Samah have to do with Abdel Majid Abdallah?

1.  اليسا - جوايا ليك Elissa Gowa Ya Leek
2. راشد الماجد - سلام عليهم Rashid Al Majid Salam Alyhom
3. عبدالمجيد عبدالله - مااذكر متى Abdel Majid Abdallah
4. فضل شاكر/ يارا - خذني معك Fadel Shaker and Yara Kedny Ma'ak
5. كارول سماحه / مروان خوري - يارب Carol Samaha and Marwan Khoury Ya Rab
6. ماجد المهندس - فرصه مجنونه Majid Al Mohandis Forsah Majnoonah

These are all talented entertainers with different fans and different strength points. But unlike previous albums, that Rotana did there was a clear theme...romantic songs, sad ones, Lebanese ones....etc. If this album sells 5 thousand copies, Rotana should do a victory dance.  

راشد الماجد ...سلام عليهم

Kaoutar Nihad "Nta Li Bghit" Arabs In New York

UPDATED:

Morocco is the country of a million singer and dancer, if you have been watching the entertainment channel of course. In fairness, most of the entertainers who come form Morocco are extremely talented. There's a certain energy singers from Morocco bring, they seem to be very educated and have hail from a great tradition.

A singer who I have yet to decide on is called Kaouthar Nihad, she is out with a new album she was singing in Rotana cafe in Morocco. The music video for her song was filmed mostly in New York in Central Park and Time Square. The two places I know like the back of my hand. The singer is boasting about an American director who shot the music video, I think my college roommate Carlos would have done a better job filming and editing this video.

The outdoors portion is pretty cool, when they crew films indoors, the quality sucks. As for the song, I like the beat I detect a Latin/Hispanic flavor. The lyrics are very Moroccan which in the past has been an upside. The singer might have a lot more to give than she is showing.

On the plus side, this is a complete artist in the sense she knows the song through and through, music lyrics and singing. This sheer fact makes Nihad unique and light years ahead of her peers. To her credit, the song below gets better once you play it few times.

Kaoutar NIHAD Nta Li Bghit Clip Official HD 2012 كوثر نهاد انت لي بغيت

Najwa Karam Rocks Al Ashrafiya Festival!

So what Najwa Karam did not want to talk to annoying street journalists, so what the audio system could not handle the might voice Najwa Karam is well know for. It was still good concert that shows Najwa as a home girl proud of all things Lebanon

Najwa was the star of a local concert part of Al Ashrafiya area, a pocket of Beirut. She sang for an hour and shared the joy with her fellow Lebanese people, it was not a big deal what went wrong and those who talk about it, got nothing else to talk about.

She rocked the purples dress and did what the singer wanted to do, remind people that Lebanon is a safe place to come party at.
هل كان حفل الأشرفيَّة زلَّة قدم لنجوى كرم؟

Just Like Assad, Ali El Deek Won't Just Go Away

Ali El Deek made something rally cool he made folksy Syrian songs a mainstream thing throughout Arabia. There was relatively, nothing called the hip Syrian song, until Ali released his hit singles. But that was almost 8 years ago. But things have changed since then and Ali kept doing the same old beat with new lyrics.

Ali did not invent the folksy Syrian song, he only made it accessible, but as more people tuned in, less and less songs came out from this style. And soon enough most people have lost interest in this song as it started to feel tired.

And here we go again, we are in 2012 Syria is changing, but Ali has not. He has locked himself in this style and he can still do well in Syria at wedding and other local functions, but I do not see him do not a music festival. I do think his title is creative the youth will appreciate it.
  
Ali El Deek - Say3in w Day3in

Salah Kurdi And The Sexy Piano Moment

Wael Jassar, Fadel Shaker, Saad Ramadan Saber El Robaei, Reda, and a dozen other Lebanese singers do the same song that Salah Kurdi just released about the places where he used to frequent with now his ex. The lyrcis are good and the Lebanese dialect works for this song.

He is talking about the past and his regrets...he is the one left alone. We need to get a new mantra in the Arab world, there's always another fish in the sea, so stop the whinging and get out there. The song won;t fix anything, in reality it might make you feel worse of.

 I do not think this is a music video that will win awards. It was filmed here in the states (Flordia and New Yorkj) As a vocal performance, Salah Kurdi has all the right tools. He is an accomplished composer who is dabbling into singing after his work has made many famous. Elissa, Adam, Saber El Robaei, Ayman Zabib and Saad Ramadan have all taken songs from Salah.

Salah Kurdi - Nafs El MaTareh / صلاح كردي - نفس المطارح

Men 2idy 2012 The Bad Nay 2012 / نايا - من ايدي HQ

Naya makes good pop songs, but with one problem. Her manager is a schmuck, a jerk and classless bastard. Why? He is using Naya's talent to get back at his wife and he has always made that clear. Naya is a tented star and she need a ruthless manger to help get her gigs and songs. What Naya does not need is to get caught in a family feud.

She is a star on her own not a younger version of Nawal Al Zoghby, the divorcee of Naya's manger who I won't mention his name. Naya has a sweet voice that makes her a great candidate for breakup pop songs, but her latest do not seems o live up to Naya's earlier work (check out tizkar).

Men Eidy is a pop song made for clubs, you cannot do a sad song to a party music, it just takes away from the fine crafted lyrics. It's what it's a good song with loud music
Naya - Men 2idy 2012 / نايا - من ايدي HQ

While Arabs Shame Belly Dancers, Non Arabs Dominate It

Everybody loves belly dancing, no body would want to be one. As far as Arab people go, it's a dead profession. And such belly dancer have became just another word for prostitute. So, who gives? The people around the world picked the dance and made it even sexier.

Go to any restaurant in Lebanon or a Moroccan restaurant, chances are the dancer is not Arab, but she appreciate the culture--which to her means belly dancing. Which was no surprise to me when I saw the video below about belly dancing festival in Lebanon and most of the stars were from Europe, Latin America and beyond. Few Arab belly dancers were also present.

Needless to say some mid aged bald guys with a sleazy personality showed up. Check out the belly dancers from Spain and Mexico who have been interviewed. The lady behind this event is a local belly dancer with the name of Amani.

   مهرجان الرَّقص الشَّرقي في بيروت يجذب الأجنبيَّات