Arabia - The Women's Voice

It can't be said too often that music is one of the best bridges between the West and the Arab world. The 11 singers featured on Arabia: The Women's Voice are ambassadors for peace, and in the case of Oum Kalthoum, the reach even extends across Arab-Israeli battle lines. Her strong, pure tones conclude this collection, which begins with the present and then works chronologically backwards. We hear a plethora of singers backed by furious electro effects, but what will strike most people is the way their voices remain quintessentially Arabic. That dusky, lazy tone, which so often lingers microtonally below the note, seems impervious to extraneous influences. As we go back in time, the accompaniments become simpler and more engaging: massed strings in unison, plus an accordion, a lute, or a zither. Highlights are Nagat al Saghira, who was a child star of Egyptian cinema in the 1940s, and the great Lebanese singer Fairouz. Nobody has ever successfully replicated her deep, dark timbre, and it seems doubtful that anyone ever will

01 - Najwa Karam - Ariftu Albi Lamin
02 - Nawal Al Zoughbi - Maloom
03 - Dania - Ya Glebey
04 - Howayda - Nari (My Passion)
05 - Madonna - Habibi Tal AlYea (Do Not Play Around)
06 - Latifa Wadeh - Kerihtak
07 - Julia Botros - Hejar el Mensiyen
08 - Warda - Batwans Beek
09 - Nagat - Ana Bashak El Bahr
10 - Fairuz - Sakana Al Leyel (Quiet Is the Night)
11 - Oum Kalthoum - Matrawak Dammak

DESCARGA