Various Artists — Born in the City of Tanta (Sublime Frequencies)
In the middle of the 20th century Cairo, Egypt represented the acme of progressive Arabic society. The music that soundtracked this culture was erudite, virtuosic and artfully expressive. Of course, a lot of Egypt was not in on the spoils, culturally or otherwise, and for people who couldn’t afford a TV on which to view Oum Kalthoum and her orchestra or tickets to catch her in concert, there were other options. One company that catered to the more impecunious portion of the population was Bourini Records, a label that started out in Benghazi, Libya in 1968.
The label specialized in 45 rpm records, which at the time were the cheapest option available to performers who were lacked access to Cairo’s pricy studios and Egypt’s radio stations, which catered to bourgeois sensibilities. Most of the 40 or 50 titles it released during its seven-year existence were made by Egyptian singers of shaabi and shabibi, popular forms that were rooted in rural, traditional forms of song and poetry. Born in the City of Tanta collects eight sides from the Bourini catalog that were compiled and sequenced by Gary Sullivan, a record collector and WFMU deejay, and Sublime Frequencies boss Hisham Mayet.
Smart sequencing amplifies this marvelous LP’s appeal. It hooks you at the outset with the collection’s most outré vocal performances, settles into more traditional but no less compelling fare, and then ends on a note of undeniable badassery. While lyrics are not provided, the song titles (which are) and the sounds of the singers’ voices work in concert to fire one’s imagination. Take the opening track, Basis Rahouma’s “Yana Alla Nafsa Masouda.” Upholstered with swaggering strings and a driven by exuberant hand drumming, it’s actually one of the set’s lusher productions. But Rahouma’s impetuous, insistent singing, which escalates until he’s ending each line with a shout or an imitation of a carnivorous animal, sounds like the work of a guy you’d like to have in your record collection, but not face to face with you in an alley. The title translates as “Blocked from What I Want,” and the performance leaves no doubt that you do not want to be in his way when the singing’s done. Then advance a couple tracks to Samah’s “Shawish Aldawriat” (“Patrol Sergeant”). The vocal duet, which contrasts a fleet and ardent female singer with a buffoonish male one, will leave you guessing just what’s going on, but I’d lay long odds that the sergeant’s holding an empty bag when the song’s over.
By contrast, there’s nothing goofy about Abu Bakr Abdel Aziz’s “Al Bint al Libya” (The Girl from Libya),” just a breakneck oud line, hard-smacked drums, and a singer who sounds shattered. There’s no reason to think that Reem Kamal, who gets the last word while belting “Baed Al Yas Yjini (After Hopelessness, He Comes to Me)” over implacable handclaps, seething accordion, and churning reeds, is singing directly to Aziz. But if she were, she sure sounds like she could do some shattering.
As immediate as Bourini’s sounds were, the label didn’t last long. The liner notes don’t say why, but it’s worth noting that it released its last record in the same year that a cassette-only album by Ahmed Adaweya outsold Oum Kalthoum’s LPs. Across North Africa, vinyl made way for tape, and the day of the single was over.
middle eastern traditional sounds over distorted drum loops, aggressive shaabi, as well as some high pitched & heavily edited vocals of 90s-00s arabic pop hits blended with experimental club tunes
Le duo libanais Praed, composé des musiciens Paed Conca et Raed Yassin, fusionne depuis le mitan des années 2000’s musiques populaires arabes et expérimentations électro-jazzistiques. Ce cinquième album studio est incontestablement leur meilleur, combinant de manière extatique les motifs mélodiques ondulants et frénétiques du shaabi avec des nappes de synthé et des beats survoltés – sans parler de la clarinette qui chemine avec maestria dans ce maelstrom sonore.
Shaaban Abdel Rahim, also known as Sha'bola, was an Egyptian pop singer, formerly known for catchy songs with political lyrics. Born: March 15, 1957, Cairo Died: December 3, 2019, Cairo #egypt #shaabi #folk #cairo #music #northafrica #memories #africanmusic #africaeveryday #photooftheday #popmusic #pop https://www.instagram.com/p/CMbqzxjnph3/?igshid=1rie6jkqwgdzt
Tried my best to keep up in this morning's #shaabi workshop with @melissa.gamal That was so much fun, but difficult. It's REALLY clear that I am not ready to dance completely. I'm so tired... and so very sore. I'm ready for a nap. The cats agree. But, hey... I'm super fashionable; don't you think? #bellydance #bellydancejoy #bellydanceproblems #bellydancecats #dance #music https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfsGHClNdl/?igshid=t4zywx0aiwvg
