Arabic music (not elsewhere classified)

That Nadah El Shazly album is absolutely incredible. I'm loving the encounter of Arabic classical vocals, free jazz and 'experimental' music (shitty descriptor, etc.). What else should I check out?

Hear classic film music from the golden age of Arab cinema, the 1930s to the 1960s. Top composer-performers from Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria created music for the most popular films and theater in the Arab world. Simon Shaheen performs on the ‘ud (Arab lute) and violin, joined by the Syrian vocalist Nadia Raies and an ensemble with ney (Arab flute), qanun (Arab zither), cello, and percussion.

Saw this show for free tonight. Always pleasant, but it sounded even more than that on the 3 songs where Syrian vocalist (and current Berklee school of music student0 Nadia Raies sing with Shaheen on oud, the 3 violinists, the flute player, cello, percussionist and great young qanun player. Shaheen talked about the songs in between (they did some classic old film ones and some of his compositions that are inspired by old stuff)

With Rudiph gone (after his invective-filled meltdown) this thread has gotten much quieter

Habibi Funk Records, in Germany, was mentioned in other threads after they brought out this compilation of 1970s-1980s Arabic funk and jazz:

- https://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/habibi-funk-007-an-eclectic-selection-of-music-from-the-arab-world

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2216664489_7.jpg

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They released a radio session comp of Kamal Keila from Sudan (see Rolling Reissues 2018 ), and the latest one is a full album reissue, Jazz, Jazz, Jazz by the Sudanese band The Scorpions & Saif Abu Bakr, with bandleader Amir Sax:

- https://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/habibi-funk-009-jazz-jazz-jazz

"He told us stories about him meeting Jimmy Cliff and [Louis] Armstrong when they visited Sudan and how he and his band mates from The Scorpions played extensively in Kuwait, both in club residencies as well as for television. Amir brought tons of incredible photos illustrating not only the bands history but the vivid cultural live in the many music clubs in Khartoum of the 1970s. During this decade up until 1983 the capital was home to a huge number of clubs and concert halls. This scene started to perish after Nimeiry's turn towards the implementation of Sharia law in 1983. During the first decade of his rule he had actively supported various artists of the Jazz scene and was even taking artist like Kamal Keila along with him to trips throughout Africa. The 1989 coup of Bashir and his generals then caused the final blow to a once thriving scene." – (Jannis Stuerz, Habibi Funk)

will try to check that out

Just be wary of the "jazz" title –

"To Western ears, the title Jazz, Jazz, Jazz will seem something of a red herring. This is music more pop-structured than typical jazz with the nine blood-raw recordings powered by an engine of funky organ work and upbeat guitar lines. Leading most arrangements by the hand are the powerful and striking brass sections." – (Dean Van Nguyen)

Also this past year, the Gisma Group from northern Sudan appeared on a collaborative album in New Zealand, Haja.

The group play traditional wedding music in the style aghani al-banat, "girls' music", which is also associated with Alsarah from Alsarah & the Nubatones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSF7QrzoiD0

On the album, the Gisma Group are centre-stage on the tracks "Haja" and "Like the Moon". More of Gisma's songs are remixed into the other tracks featuring NZ musicians, in a kind of fusion. I like how it's turned out, though something about the remixing seems a bit 'off', not sure what...

- https://nzmusician.co.nz/lessons/x-factory-in-praise-of-the-adults-haja/
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btw there's almost certainly an aghani al-banat rabbithole to go down. The group's leader, Gisma, studied under Hawa al-Tagtaga, who had a role in Sudanese history via her music.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qWzoTh1nv2o/mqdefault.jpg

"Born around 1924 in northern Kordofan, Hawa moved to the capital at the tender age of 14 years to begin the career of a popular performer and entertainer. Over the years, she became an icon of Sudanese womanhood and popular culture. Hawa made the Sudanese happy. She immortalized the key figures of the Sudanese anti-colonial movement in the simple ‘open access’ lyrics and tunes of the nas (common people), and earned a living from the dual function of dance instructor and singer at the weddings of the effendiya and the merchant class."
- http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article44931 (Archived)

But I can't find any of her early music online (only songs on low-budget TV shows)

In Sudan, filmed before the overthrow of the government there - a film about the community music program "Yalla Khartoum":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXLSrIncytU

The 2019 uprising that removed al-Bashir was not the first such protest movement in Sudan, and music has often played an important role in these historic events.

Mohamed A Satti writes about a few famous songs, including Mohammed Wardi's “October Al Akhdar” (Green October) in 1964:

Songs of freedom: the soundtracks of political change in Sudan
- https://theconversation.com/songs-of-freedom-the-soundtracks-of-political-change-in-sudan-115383

A 2019 song by Alsarah:

Alsarah & The Nubatones - "Men Ana" (Live on KEXP)
- https://youtu.be/fBAc8LNCrJs

'"Men Ana / من انا" or "Who Am I" is a new track by Alsarah & the Nubatones.
Alsarah says: "The revolution in Sudan has inspired a revolution inside of me. From my heart in the diaspora to all my people on the ground sitting in for weeks now outside the military headquarters in Khartoum and all around the rest of Sudan - I love you."'

That opening mournful flute is really touching in the beginning of first video clip

"Please stop comparing Nadeh El Shazly female singers to Bjork."
― Doran, Sunday, December 24, 2017 2:23 PM (two years ago) bookmarkflaglink

How about Leila Arab, then?
I know I'm late to the party, but Ahwar is a knockout.

How one song got an entire music genre banned in Egypt
- https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/thetake/2020/03/song-entire-music-genre-banned-egypt-200327190236398.html

Sadly, it wasn't "Shape of You":

"Egypt's low-tech, high-energy mahraganat music blasted out of the shantytowns to top the global charts on SoundCloud and rack up hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. But one slip-up at a massive concert in Cairo threw the entire genre's future into question.

"In this episode, we hear from Mina Girgis, an Egyptian ethnomusicologist based in the United States."
– (Al Jazeera, 28 Mar 2020)

As mentioned in that podcast

WARNING: may contain references to the illegal and delicious hashish

Hassan Shakosh feat. Omar Kamal - "Bent El Geran" (The neighbour's girl)
مهرجان بنت الجيران " بهوايا انتي قاعده معايا " حسن شاكوش و عمر كمال - توزيع اسلام ساسو
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHBaHQau8b4

I need to listen to that podcast. Thanks for posting