The Sheikh Who Listens To Metal Also Wants To Ban Elissa, Haifa, and Nancy

One religious Sheikh took to Twitter to attack some ladies who like to sing and made a career out of entertainment. Meet Fadel Suliman, a preacher who spreads the message of Islam took an interesting turn when he attacked three lead pop stars. (The story can be read here in Arabic)

Mr. Fadel admitted to liking Hard Metal in his youth he would go to concerts to enjoy this kind of heavy metal rock. However Heavy Metal Rock has a crappy name in Arabia as many marry it to devil worshiping. So the sheikh defended heavy metal and argued that going to concert for Elissa, Hiafa, and Nancy Ajram is closer thing to worshiping Satan.

The religious figure disagrees with people who want to ban Heavy Metal like the calls in Egypt now as some calls have been made to cancel concerts at the El Sawy Culture Wheel (more here). He defends his favorite kind of music yet attacks people for going to female concerts. Fadel belongs to the Muslim brotherhood and has made similar calls in the past about certain female singers. He has even doubled down and attacked other Lebanese songstress like Marwa and Nicole Saba.

Fafel Suliman is a Muslim preacher who comes to the United States and talks about Islam, he has authored a number of books on his religion of choice.

Why is making this case now and why is he only picking on entertainers form Lebanon are my questions.

إسلاموفوبيا - الإسلام انتشر بالسيف (بدون موسيقى)

Pop Music Has Gotten Louder and Less Original

You know your dad's old buddies have always told you the music you listen to is too loud. Your old man told you about your favorite pop music "it's unoriginal" I think they might have been speaking some truth to you.

Because as we learn today about a computer analysis of nearly half-a-million songs recorded between 1955 and 2010 and reported in Nature Scientific Reports Thursday. “We have been able to show how the global loudness level of music recordings has consistently increased over the years,” study author Joan Serra of the Spanish National Research Council said in an email exchange.

Similarly, the team found the diversity of chords and melodies has “consistently diminished in the last 50 years”. “This yields a clear recipe for contemporising old songs: using more common chord changes, changing the song’s instrumentation, and record it louder,” said Serra.

The study spanned a variety of genres, including rock, pop, hip hop, metal and electronic. “Much of the gathered evidence points towards an important degree of conventionalism, in the sense of blockage or no-evolution, in the creation and production of contemporary Western popular music,” said the study.

I am sure Arabic pop is not much different, it has gotten a lot louder, thanks to Euro trash and house music invasion. Plus, the lyrics have been recycling for ages now, we just have to have a long term memory. At least, this is what science has concluded. I would add, thanks to having songs written by teams now, no longer would one person author one hit alone----it takes a village to doctor a good song.  

This Is What Passes For Oriental Nights In Lebanon

This is the 6th time this music festival takes place in Lebanon! They bring only Lebanese singers to party with the massive crowds who are hungry for music and good times. I find most of the music acts have to say something or sing about Lebanon--a good place.

Nawal Al Zoghby put on a good dance show--she filmed it too for promotional purposes and a music video. Assi Hallani turned the heat up with his all Lebanese style, just see the folks dancing up as he sang away. Ramy Ayach owned the night even though he performed last--his fans would wait for this handsome devil and his new single "The Apple".

It seems that each of the festival appearances had a new summer single to treat their fans to at this large music festival knows as the oriental music festival. The festival had a a young up and coming singer Sabine who was featured on the festival to lure in the younger fans. Sabine relied on her outfit and dance movies to stand out.

P.S. MTV, the Lebanese TV network is the force behind this music festival--I tend not to approve of the MTV's political agenda, but their musical one is a different story.

عاصي الحلاني كواليس مهرجان الاغنية الشرقية السادس 2012


نوال الزغبي - كواليس مهرجان الاغنية الشرقيه السادس 2012


سارا الهاني - كواليس مهرجان الاغنية الشرقيه السادس 2012


رامي عيـاش كواليس مهرجان الاغنية الشرقية السادس 2012

Classy Zade Dirani - Haya - Music Odyssey

Zade was given the royal attention in the country of Jordan early on. With their help and his own unique talent he went on to become one of the most celebrated young piniest / composers in that country and beyond. In a one night engagement last year the young pianist accompanied by a world class orchestra to transform the historic venue into something magical.

Have you ever seen movie where the soundtrack blew you away? This is what feels like to watch and hear Zade's play the piano. He create an atmosphere where he can control people's mood with is careful strokes on the piano. His youth and good looks do help a great deal make him into a young star that he deserves to be. I do enjoy his confidence on stage without being too cocky.

Jean Marie Riachi, the phenomenal Lebanese music producer was behind the scenes as the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was right there next to Zade taking us on this odyssey.

Zade Dirani - Haya - Music / زيد ديراني - هايا - موسيقى

Songs Of War: Torturing Prisoners With Music

I know sometimes, I joke about some music feeling like torture to me. But in reality some government have been using noise of music to break down terrorists. This sounds like a soft form of torture that might give people a giggle. I know the US likes to go to wars with regimes that torture, or at least that's what they say. Torture is wrong.

Word on the street that the US has been using music to torture some of its prisoners of war or suspected terrorists. I have read about this before during the Bush years, and now Aljazeera English has a good report on it, tracking reports that go back to 2003. Sometimes they would let them put headphones one and tie them into a chair making them listen to loud music. Aljazeera interviewed a former guard who cites rock music being used to bug prisoners. Sometimes, they would play two different songs at the same time an dyes, they are English songs.

Christopher Cerf, creator of the children’s program The Electric Company and an award-winning composer who produced the theme song to Sesame Street, told a reporter recently that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) “perverted” his music “to serve evil” by using his most famous composition to torture prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

Documents made public in 2010 revealed that ten specific torture techniques wererecommended by Bush administration attorneys, although the CIA had proposed 12. Among those rejected were mock burials and prolonged diapering, but among the legal tactics, loud music, threatening prisoners with power drills or guns, physical abuse, simulated drowning and sensory deprivation were all commonly deployed.

In a documentary aired Wednesday, Al Jazeera World

Aljazeera World Songs of War

Raef Transforms Pop Hits Into Islamic Lyrics

Something strange has to happen when a Muslim singer makes it big. It happened to Sami Yusuf, Maher Zain, and now I am seeing it with Raef. Once they start a strong base, they have to flaunt a ring. It seems that many Muslims get on their case to see if the singers are doing this for the babes or for the right reasons.

Sami Yusuf in 2005 I think had to take a picture on the album of his and show his ring. Maher Zain wrote songs for his wife. And now Raef, the American bred singer of cool covers is showing his ring in his latest music video. This means he is not a big name.

I did see Raef perform two years ago in George Washington University for a function for the Muslim Student Association. He was good and his sense of humor was impressive. Raef's latest cover is "I'm Yours" By Jason Mraz. Making a music song out of a popular hit is not easy because one sets the bars too high. Luckily Raed was able to do a fine job. I adore his modern take on faith inspired music.

Raef had a sweet voice and the way he flows is worthy of an A list pop star. Raef does something many Muslim singers have not tried to do before....taking hip songs and customizing them for Muslims. This is a man and his guitar sort of entertainment.  

Raef - [Rabbee] I'm Yours (Jason Mraz Cover)

World Music Awards And The Business of Arab Singer

Music awards mean little to the fan, but they mean the world to the entertainers...any entertainer that is. those who do not think they can win it, badmouth it, and try to say that i only care about my fans.

It is painful to see the Arab stars try to chase such prizes, locally and in the world stage. recently Nancy Ajram won an award for the third time, same award that has been given to Amr diab, Samira Said, Latifah and Elissa. I do not think we should be celebrating an Arab star for wining this award, it's made for Arabs. It's not like they are winning over other non-Arabs.

I hate losers, and I hate rich losers. They often claim to have turned down an offer for the award in exchange for a payment. I think this has some truth to it, but not 100 percent true. I think, it's all about money! Meaning there are five best selling artists, but who would be willing to promote the event, the award and bring in a sponsorship. So, the committee does not go after losers of unknown artists,


الـ"وورد ميوزيك أوورد" فخرٌ أم ذلٌ لحامليها؟

Hamid El Shari Demo Music Rocks

Hamid El Shari is a Libyan who would come to Egypt and revolutionize Arabic music from the outdated musical blocks the Eastern melodies that lacked fresh and progressive concepts.

Came a guy who was influnced by Hip Hop music-the old school and the Italian culture, and he took all that and used his background working in the radio to make Arabic music a lot more hip and a lot more pop. I guess what he did was become the first Arabic DJ.

While Hamid did not write much music, he took the work of other composers and made it cooler by re arranging it. Then his name becaome a household name he ruled the late 80s and early 90s. And now he is still the dude to go to. He runs a popular radio in Rehab Radio in Cairo.

Here' few random collections of his tracks, some has vocals others. But one with Mounir is defiantly worth every second.

حميد الشاعري - موسيقي البوم اكثر هدوءا



حميد الشاعري -- من غير حاجب - ديمو من الالبوم الجديد


محمد منير مع حميد الشاعري -- حبيبي لولا السهر