Hatem Al Iraqi, The Savior And Iraq's Hit-Maker

Iraq has seen better days, but hope is not dead. I think that every time I hear a song buy the loyal son of Iraq Hatem Al Iraqi whose name represents the nation. But his voice does more than represents Iraqi, it united a people. His music soothes the soul. Hatem made it big, by keeping it safe....people like Iraqi music because one it's sad, two because the dialect can express sorrow like no other.

No need to sound fake, and no need to go over the top, just fine the right lyrics and Hatem's voice will put his all Iraqi flavor and give you a classic. It does help Hatem that he is a composer so he knows the music through and through.

Watch this clip below where he brought a poet, a real poet to add another emotional layer to this song, Hazem Jabir, this is a song that other Iraqi singers need to copy. Because if they do, you know Iraqi will be back in the lead (musically) in no time.

P.S. What's with Iraqi's obsession with blond models?

حاتم العراقي حازم جابر ربع حبي فيديو كليب وحيد

A Tribute To Egypt's Women And Their Achievements

People who study history know women have always had a role in making it, sometimes this role is behind the scene, sometimes it's ion the front lines. While some overestimate the role of women, many underestimate it. The Arab world is no different in this sense than the rest of the world. Others might have a different attitude about it, but still there is bias out there.

In Egypt, there have always been those strong women, in literature, in journalist, in politics, social movements and in just about every field. The slides are in Arabic, but they do bring a number of known and unknown women in the modern history of Egypt. The music accompanying the video is is nothing short of dazzling

These slides present a group of pioneer women in the modern history of Egypt in various fields. They contributed to our civilization. They are a window to know our past, shaping our present and building the future. The slides had been produced in cooperation with Woman and Memory Forum, the slides have been designed by Heba Helmy.

حتي لا ننسي... للنساء تاريخ....تاريخ مصر

One Of The Best Song By Saudi Abdelmajid Abdallah

Guys are no senseless cold creature, you just need too make sure that you are worth the trouble. Stability is important ingredient in the makeup of a man because unstable men causes the world to collapse and ruin it for the rest of us.

This why I am grateful for mature singers like Abdelmajid Abdallah, the song of the Kingdom who really gets it. He is better than any therapist through his music. The level of sincerity and emotional doses in his songs beat any romantic out there. He is the ultimate lover who knows how to make a simple love poem into a magical show of conflicting emotions.

Take the song below about the lost love, he is not feeling the love and he senses something is wrong, his loved one has changed on him all of sudden. Distance is dangerous for those romantic and the song plays that part and express such feelings and bittersweet moments when someone does not appreciate what the other brings to the relationship.

Seriously, where has this Abdelmajid gone? I know in my formative years he taught me a lot about love, romance and being loyal.

متغير علي - عبدالمجيد عبدالله

LISTEN: Angham - Law Kont Single اغنية انغام - لو كنت

Angham might not have had her Ramadan Drama on TV this year, but she is not out, fresh of a round of media interviews and a rumored feud with her co star Dalia Al Bihiry, Angham has never striekc me as a team player, she is a lone wolf and she sems to have few freinds in the business.

She has a combative style and almost always take things the wrong way, and insist that she has no problem, but the other party does have the problem. Fine, but why do most people do not have nice things to say about Angham? I like the lady and I like how sweet she can be. She might be misunderstood too. But by the same token she should look inward too

She is not mean, she got baggage dating back to her father and her working together when she was a little girl, then family drama. It really shows, as most of her interviews, it's easy to get Angham to talk about her personal life--her her divorce from the Kuwait composer and the father of her children.

Luckily for her the Gulf adores her voice, and luckily for them she keeps on doing songs in that dialect like her most recent single, a happy song really about imagining the moment...this is a hit song with some fresh music with some cool violin. The song's lyricist and the composer is the same person whose name is Al Sima- a female perhaps?

The composer did a really good job. A fitting song for the Eid with a lot of well wishes. Dream on....

 اغنية انغام - لو كنت | Angham - Law Kont

Fadel Shaker Is Like The Crazy But Nice Uncle

When you home speaks a language, you better speak the language if you wan to get comfortable at the place where you have been granted peace. Fadel Shaker told us he will quit the music business, but then this latest single of his is the answer---he is not going anywhere.

This time he has a lady in his music video and he seems to be frozen and a lot older than he once was. But the salt and pepper hair brings some maturity to this poem turned into a song . I love the gracious part where the song credits the creator with making such gorgeous people.

I think Fadel does well when he sings, when you ask for his opinions, things get ticky as he gets emotional

Fadl Shaker - Ma Assadda' / فضل شاكر - ما أصدق

Sham (Syria) Gets Some Love From Indie Music

Eskenderlla is busy this Ramadan season with concerts as they had a night of music on August 4th and they sang for Syria or Sham. I love this style of songs, you get a poem performed by one vocalist and then the music joins in and pick up the speed.

Not sure where this style originates from, but it might have come from Egypt or the Sufi school of music. It's nice that one of the most popular indie bands in post Mubarak Egypt would sing for Syria and the resilience of its people.

أسكندريلا - حيوا أهل الشام

Two Egyptian Dudes Duet عمرو قطامش ووائل عامر

Wael Amer and Amr Katamish teamed up to send a message to the next president of Egypt. Two different guys with two different interests joined forces on this song. One is a stand up comic with funny yet poetic lines and the other is a natural born activist who has been right more than one on the SCAF. I did not see this song coming and did not know that neither of these guys would work together.

But here we are and the two using one another to access the fan base of the other entertainer. Their message is clear, justice is the foundation of governance. You have a people and for those people there are squares--where they can protest. This is meant to be half funny half serious song.

I like this creative effort...Wael brings the mesmerizing vocals and Amr brings humor and a deep voice sprinkled with stylish flow.
 
رساله الى الرئيس القادم..عمرو قطامش ووائل عامر

Exclusive: To The Most Coveted Album, Magida El Roumi Ghazal 2012

This time around Magida is a poet--she wrote the lyrics for most of her song on the album album, The ones she did not compose, she took from Nizar Qabbani who can do little wrong. then she hired the best and most talented composers--who only work for themselves. Lastly she got the music doctor of Lebanon to oversee the entire album, what she got is a gem. The album is titled Ghazal, teasing or flirting.

You may also know her as Majida el Roumy, but we all know her as a musical genius who always challenges others who making them do better. The album makes you a lot more classier and a lot more refined by just owning it....Her dad who was an accomplished musician would have been proud.

The album has made it to Egypt now and to the rest of the Arab world so, go stand in line and get your copy. This album will be around for some time and many of us will be talking about it. I love the liver orchestra and accompanying this legendary Lebanese yet proud Arab diva.

With this album Majida tell those half baked talents that they have a long way to go and that there's room for good music. download the album on iTunes if you cannot secure a hard copy

we will update the review in time

01 W Btetghayar El-Da'aye'
02 Wa'adtouka
03 Bass Ellak Habibi
04 Metghayar W Mhayarni
05 El-Alam Elna
06 Ablani Hayk
07 Al-Tayrou Taraban Yougharidou
08 Salawna
09 La Ma T'illi Habbayna
10 Ala Albi Malak
11 La Ma Rah Ez'al A'chi
12 Law Ta'ref
13 Bladi Ana
14. Nashid El-Shohada
ماجدة الرومي وعدتك Majida El Roumi 2012


ماجدة الرومي تتغير الدقايق Majida El Roumi 2012

Fat Amr Katamesh Wants To Sell You Chicken

He was supposed to be a funny poet, the kind the reads poetry in slang and with a great deal of humor and play on words. Two years later he is back this time in a commercial selling Arab chicken that will make them fat and clog their arteries.

He surely needed the money as he is a married man now. He is reading his bucket of chicken poetry and making us all want to buy the food--he did his job. This ad might have some truth in advertising, a fat guy wants you to enjoy something that will make you just as fat as he is.

Not sure what does fried chicken has anything to do with poetry....but here's the video that will make a lot of business people very rich.

اعلان عمرو قطامش لدجاج كنتاكى

These Songs Are In Majida El-Roumi 2012 Album Ghazl "غزل"

You will see the album early July 2012, from the Lebanese diva Majida El-Roumi. 14 track of pure golden tracks. Composed by all the ebest composers in the Arab World...where do we begin? Abel Rab Idris, Kathem El Saher, Marwan Khoury, Melhim Barakat, Ellie Choury. The music arrangement and production of all tracks will be overseen by Jean Marie Riachi who has challenged himself by promising a stunning album all around

The album will have a big marketing bonanza, as Majida will headline a number of music festivals in Lebanon and around the Arab world. Ghazal is the title of the album, Flirting as a title even though there is no one song with that title. The album comes 6 and half years after El-Roumi's last album that has received so many positive reviews.  

The music orchestra was conduced with the Budapest Orchestra and mastered in Paris. WE will get various musical treats from the romantic ones, to classical jazz and classical Arabic music. Want more awesome news? Majida wrote 8 lyrics out of the 14, so we are seeing a poet phase that Majida is shedding. I am certain some of those poems/lyrics will attest to her true talent and her high sense of maturity.

Composer Melhim Barakat went out for this album he made one of the most notable songs in the album with a live orchestra of at least two minutes before the song kick into Arabic Tarab style music bringing in Majida into transitional mood form the romantic one into the dreamy one into the groove one in just one song. You cannot study this kind of music, you grow into it. That what makes a perfect ballad, like Melhim and Majida did once before with E3tazalt El Gharam

If you like diferent things, there is one song whose lyrics came from a Nizar Qabany poem and its music come from Kathem Al Saher. The house of the Rahbanis also have a song in the album as well, Majida's late father put the music for that track. The album also brings in some world figures into play like that of Charlie Chaplin and the Russian legendary composer Dimitri Shostakovich.

This is beginning to feel like the album where the best in their craft meet and bring their A game to add to this accomplishment diva. I trust the producers have a heavy task to make this album consistent and flow from one track into another without dramatically affecting the feel of the album as a whole and each song.

ماجدة الرومي : نشيد الشهداء

 ماجدة الرومي : أغنية لا ما رح ازعل ع شي

Malak Qalbi-carthage 2010ماجدة الرومي ملك قلبي

ماجدة الرومي ما تقلي حبيتها

مكملين هشام الجخ Hisham Gakh Egypt's Poet Of The Moment

Hisham Gakh won the title of "Prince Of Poets" as the streets of Egypt were boiling and as Mubarak was being shown the door. He came from a small town and won the hears of his people and the rest of Arabia. His simple folksy poetry does wonders. He captures emotions and tales as they happen....thus nothing is lost in translation. To me, he reads and writes poems in the same style as my grandparents told stories.

His style can be compared to that of Abdel Rahamn Al Abanoody, an Egyptian legend. He is from Qana, Egypt, graduated from Ein Shams University in 2003 where he worked until 2009 before he quit. Hisham has yet to release a book of poetry. But he does not seem to feel the urge to do so, he is well published on YouTube and the social bookmarks.  

He seems to picked the side of the people and now coming out in support for the revolution as he did many times before. He is the fieriest critic of the previous regime, calls it out as he sees it. Like the line where he said, your towns cannot afford to buy cooking gas, while Tel Aviv gets the Egyptian gas by close to nothing. Then he says, they do not want us to offend the president....then laughs at those silly justifications.

He ends the poem, we are pushing forward....

هشام الجخ - مكملين + موسيقى يا الميدان

LISTEN: Assala - Ma Asm7lak / اصاله - ما أسمحلك

Assala has a good voice and a lovable character with a strong personalty. But she has been in hot water for some time now due to her speaking up her mind. Her stand with the Syrian revolution made her unpopular with the ruling folks in Syria. She has upset the celebrities of Lebanon, and apologized and made nice with her peers. But then all of a sudden a new wave of attacks came against her from Syria super diva Mayada El Hanawy who had harsh words for Assala.

Aside form that, Assalah has a new single and it sounds like something you want. Assalah is doing in in the Gulf dialect. About her lover who thinks of her as a piece of decor, it's a poem. The best line in the song is where she says, I am not a flower flower bouquet that you throw away when the fragrance is gone. She won't allow that....after all just like the song says, I am a human being and have my ups and downs.

Assala does it again and I am pleased to see her bringing the best of her vocals strengths to make one more gem.

Assala - Ma Asm7lak / اصاله - ما أسمحلك

Ali Hajjar And When The Prisoners Laugh

Ali Hajjar is one of the most notable vocalists in Egypt. The man with opera worthy voice has bee making visits to the house of opera for decades now. He has also been recording soundtrack songs for most famous Egyptian movies and TV shows. He even acted in some of them too.

He has many hit songs that are well known in Egypt, his  voice is the most recognizable voice in the Arabic entertainment. So when he saw the revolutionaries being imprisoned and tortured, even beat up in the streets he made a music video where he put himself in a cell and said all the things often cited by the revolutionaries to oppose the powers. The song is a work of poetry (the legendary abdel rahman Abanoody wrote it) and translated the laugh of the prisoners.

I did not know he was a revolutionaries but he really is one. When the 2011 revolution started he was in Spain, so he marched to the Egyptian embassies and protested. Then he has not give up on change yet.  

على الحجار - ضحكة المساجين الكليب الاصلى

Naziha Miftah, Europe's Best Arabic Vocalist

Naziha Miftah resides in Paris, but she is originally from Morocco. Naziha became know for her strong vocals where she performs covers of Fayrouz's classic songs, songs that expats love to appreciate. Naziha has performed with Marcel Khalifah (who also lives in Paris) in his Europe tours. I like her voice, it reminds of a young Salwa Qatrib, a compliment I do not take lightly.

Singing poems from the ancient Arab past as well those of well know Palestinian poet Mahmou Darwish, so you know she is no pop. The kind of music that gives you a journey of your own soul and teaches you how to truly relax. She can do it through her voice or by playing the lute, an instruments she has mastered.

Not too many Arabs at the homeland know of her, but it seems she Arabs living in Europe are familiar with her work and her talent. Ahmed Dari, a Palestinian composer and lyricist has wrote that song below for Naziha, I think since they both live in Paris, this collaboration is only natural.  

Naziha Miftah, ROUH, نزيهة مفتاح٬ روح٬ كلمات وألحان أحمد داري

Abdel Rahman El Abanodi, A Poet For The Masses

Abdel Rahman El Abanodi is a legendary poet whose reign on pop culture and politics are hard to deny. He wrote songs for stars like Abdel Halim Hafiz, Warda, Fayza Ahmed, Sabah, Shadia, Mohammed Rushdie, Mohammed Mounir and few others. But I am not going to talk about how many hit songs he has authored.

 I want you to listen to this piece of his on those murderous and corrupt leaders of his country. No other poet can express those feelings, as Abdel Rahman El Abanodi is not just one poet, he is a historian for the modern day Egyptian story. He won many awards, but perhaps the biggest of them all is the fellowship and admiration all Arabs particularly Egyptians give this poet.

He did not write poetry in classical Arabic like most singers opt out to, instead he used simple everyday lyrics. Why not and he was born in one of the small Egyptian towns where neglected peasants hail. Qana. I have not done research on this iconic poet before, but I have been aware of his work and how entertainers boast about collaborating with this hit maker.

Enjoy his latest--we are songs of bitches goes the title

إحنا ولاد الكلب الشعب - عبد الرحمن الأبنودي للعسكر

ملعون أبوها الحمامة أم غصن زتون الأبنودي ودراويش الميدان

Ahbab Family Dances, Raps And Reads Poetry

The only Arab country that has not revolted or offered serious reforms is Morocco. Now comes a band from that country that is singing about freedom, but they are also asking people to abandon politics. Call them Ahbab Family, that's the name they go by.

I like the poetry part of the show, it seems native to them. There are raps and English songs part of their showcase. I can tell the in house audience loved it. I love the flow and the urban dance bit. It looks like they wanted to make a show where all Arabs can enjoy..the traditionalist and the hip ones.

While their show was cool, they seemed to have filed to impress the judges. Never mind, these guys seem to ignite a great deal of Moroccans all around the world. Arabs Got Talent did do one thing right, they allowed most Arabs to see how talented young Moroccans are.

 Arab Got Talent - S2 - semi final AHBAB Family HD فرقة أحباب

Reem Talhami Captivates Paris With The Classics

The classiest Palestinian singer just performed in Paris last year where her fans and those who appreciate sobering Arabic music lined up to attend her concert. Reem Talhami whose resume includes acting has studied at Robin music academy- Jerusalem. Now she lives in East Jerusalem where she is happily married.

Reem has did amazing songs with the poet of the well known Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. She can perform in three languages Arabic, English, Hebrew. I like her songs as they are not that easy to perform or fall in love. I mean, they are way heavy to digest, you have to be a trained listener who has passion for classics and the folklore.

And by the way I like the Eastern feel as Reeem always picked the right dress for the occasion combing glamour with tradition.

Reem Talhami, Andi Elak, Paris. ريم تلحمي٬ شو كان عندي إلك٬ حفل باريس

Reem Talhami. Arissena, Paris.ريم تلحمي.عريسنا زين الشباب٬ حفل باريس

Nizar Qabani Gets The Khalid Al Sheikh Treatment

For renowned Lute player, Arabic music composer and romantic singer Khalid Al Sheikh life gets better with the performance of Nizar Qabani's old poems. The Syrian poet has written some of the most celebrated love songs in the history of the Arab literature. So the late poem, has done it all.

Now an accomplished Kuwaiti musician sat his sight on performing some of those poems. He brought in his lute for the journey. Khalid has the warm and sobering voice that puts listeners at ease--think Marcel Khalifah's early days.

Those who enjoy yet understand Arabic poetry will cheer this song as it offers the passionate poetic lyrics, and the soothing music.
عيناكي - نزار قباني - بصوت خالد الشيخ - Nizar Qabani

This Song Is Like Steroid To The Arab People

The elusive dream of Arab unity, the real unity in land and emotions. Sure, we are the same people and we have similar interests, but politics drive us apart sometimes. We feel for one another to the extend the media makes us a ware.

So, there will always be interest in songs, poems and literature that calls for unity. This is the work of dreamers. On Arab Idol, it took the Czar of Arabic music to bring back those emotions by preforming a celebrated poem live in studio.

It was Kathem Al Saher's moment in the sun who strikes me a real believer in this song's message calling for unity and a revolution of science and building. We won't allow religion to drive us apart says the song--I wish this comes true.
Arab Idol - Ep24 - كاظم الساهر - بلاد العرب اوطاني

The Blues Of One Syrian Homs Refugee

Syria is beautiful..with its people and with their resilience. Here comes a Syrian lady with very powerful spoken words about her plight. It's not contemplation for the skies. asking for freedom and dignity in the homeland. The video states that the voice is form Homs Syria, a city that has been in the center of the Syrian revolution.

This is a touching video no matter where you stand and no matter what side you support in the brewing conflict over there. While politics drives us apart often, support for follow humans should never come between us.

This is a telling story about a little girl names Lian, to find out they ask you to log in online to find out more about their campaign. This video found its way to my YouTube when it was liked by a Palestinian girl from Jerusalem. She is one of many who have expressed support for the people in Syria.

زين .. صوت من حمص