NATACHA ATLAS - Ayeshteni (2001) WV (image+.cue), lossless

Though a native of Belgium, Natacha Atlas is of Egyptian ancestry and has been bewitching Western listeners with her melismatic Arabic vocals since the early '90s as a solo artist and a member of the worldbeat dance band Transglobal Underground. All of her solo albums have been impressive, but this one is her best so far. As always, she's helped out in the beats department by her colleagues in Transglobal Underground, and as always their stylistic promiscuity stands her in good stead: her original songs, sung in Arabic as usual, are an entrancing fusion of snaky, modal melodies and gutbucket funk grooves -- "Ashwa," "Mish Fadilak," and her adaptation of Zebda's "Soleil D'Egypte" are all every bit as rhythmically irresistible as they are seductively lovely. And the cover versions are, if anything, even better; she turns the torching Jacques Brel classic "Ne Me Quitte Pas" into a slinky dancefloor come-on, and delivers the best version of "I Put a Spell on You" since the death of Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Is there anything she can't do?  by Rick Anderson
Tracklist
1 Shubra 5:42
Arranged By – Transglobal Underground
Backing Vocals – The Mohandiseen Male Voice Choir
Cello – Emad Taha
Composed By [Additional] – Khaled Boughi
Drums, Programmed By – Hamid Man Tu
Engineer – Khaled Raouf
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal, Tim Whelan
Organ, Programmed By – Tim Whelan
Percussion – Khaled Rico
Producer – Transglobal Underground
Saxophone – Larry Whelan
Viola – Mahmoud Osman
Violin – Hani Farahat
Violin, Arranged By [Strings], Fiddle [Rababa] – Medhat Abdel Samie
Written-By – Kasiek, ManTu, Atlas
2 I Put A Spell On You 3:44
Arranged By – Transglobal Underground
Backing Vocals – The Mohandiseen Male Voice Choir
Cello – Taha Taha, Emad Taha
Drum [Nahrazan] – Mohamed Kly
Engineer – Khaled Raouf
Flute [Magruna] – Yehia Abdallah
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal, Tim Whelan
Percussion – Khaled Salah El Din Taha Abdalla
Piano, Programmed By – Tim Whelan
Producer – Transglobal Underground
Programmed By – Hamid Man Tu
Scratches – DJ Awe
Viola – Mahmoud Osman
Violin – Medhat Abdel Samie, Hani Farahat
Written-By – Screamin' Jay Hawkins
3 Ashwa 6:03
Cello – Emad Taha
Composed By [Additional] – Khaled Salah El Din Taha Abdalla, Khaled El Boughi
Drums – Hamid Man Tu
Engineer – Tom Rixton, Khaled Raouf
Flute [Kawala] – Ibrahim Kawala
Guitar – Tim Whelan
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal, Tim Whelan
Percussion, Backing Vocals [Whisper] – Khaled Rico
Producer – Mika Sabet
Programmed By, Arranged By – Mika Sabet
Viola – Mahmoud Osman
Violin [Additional] – Hani Farahat
Violin [Solo], Violin [Additional] – Medhat Abdel Samie
Written-By – Natacha Atlas
Zither [Quanun] – Ituch
4 Ayeshteni 4:57
Cello – Emad Taha
Composed By [Additional] – Khaled Salah El Din Taha Abdalla
Engineer – Khaled Raouf
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal, Tim Whelan
Oud – Essam Rashad
Percussion, Backing Vocals – Khaled Rico
Producer – Mika Sabet
Programmed By – Tim Whelan, Mika Sabet
Viola – Mahmoud Osman
Violin – Tamer Ghoneim, Medhat Abdel Samie, Hani Farahat
Written-By – Atlas, Sabet
5 Soleil D'Egypte 3:12
Adapted By – C Khaldy, Natacha Atlas
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal
Producer – Transglobal Underground, Zebda
Written-By – Magyd Cherfi, Zebda
6 Ne Me Quitte Pas 4:33
Arranged By – Transglobal Underground
Engineer – Philip Bagenal
Keyboards, Programmed By – Hamid Man Tu
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal
Piano, Guitar, Programmed By – Tim Whelan
Producer – Transglobal Underground
Strings – Heanafy Soliman
Written-By – Jacques Brel
7 Mish Fadilak 5:12
Cello – Emad Taha
Clarinet – Larry Whelan
Composed By [Additional] – Khaled Salah El Din Taha Abdalla, Samir Zaki
Engineer – Tom Rixton, Khaled Raouf
Flute [Kawala] – Ibrahim Kawala
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal
Oud – Mamdouh Gebari
Percussion – Khaled Rico
Producer – Fahd, Mika Sabet
Programmed By, Arranged By – Fahd, Mika Sabet
Viola – Mahmoud Osman
Violin – Tamer Ghoneim, Medhat Abdel Samie, Hani Farahat
Written-By – N. Atlas
Zither [Quanun] – Ituch
8 Rah 6:21
Cello – Emad Taha
Composed By [Additional] – Khaled Salah El Din Taha Abdalla
Drums – Hamid Man Tu
Effects [Clouds] – Larry Whelan
Engineer – Khaled Raouf
Flute [Kawala] – Ibrahim Kawala
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal
Percussion – Khaled Rico
Producer – Mika Sabet
Programmed By, Arranged By – Mika Sabet
Viola – Mahmoud Osman
Violin – Tamer Ghoneim, Hani Farahat
Violin, Fiddle [Rababa] – Medhat Abdel Samie
Written-By – Atlas, Sabet
9 Lelsama 5:52
Clarinet – Larry Whelan
Drums – Hamid Man Tu
Engineer – Tom Rixton, Khaled Raouf
Flute [Kawala] – Ibrahim Kawala
Flute [Magruna] – Yehia Abdallah
Guitar, Programmed By – Tim Whelan
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal, Tim Whelan
Percussion, Composed By [Additional] – Khaled Salah El Din Taha Abdalla
Producer – Mika Sabet
Programmed By, Arranged By – Mika Sabet
Violin – Medhat Abdel Samie
Written-By – Natacha Atlas
Zither [Quanun] – Ituch
10 Fakrenha 5:09
Arranged By – Transglobal Underground
Cello – Taha Taha, Emad Taha
Composed By [Additional] – Khaled Salah El Din Taha Abdalla, Khaled El Boughi
Effects [Ghosts] – Hamid Man Tu
Effects [Spirits] – Mika Sabet
Engineer – Khaled Raouf
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal, Tim Whelan
Percussion – Khaled Rico
Piano, Programmed By – Tim Whelan
Producer – Transglobal Underground
Saxophone – Larry Whelan
Viola – Mahmoud Osman
Violin – Tamer Ghoneim, Medhat Abdel Samie, Hani Farahat
Written-By – Natacha Atlas
Zither [Quanun] – Ituch
11 Manbai 7:43
Engineer – Khaled Raouf
Flute [Kawala] – Ibrahim Kawala
Mixed By – Philip Bagenal
Oud, Arranged By – Essam Rashad
Percussion – Khaled Rico
Producer – Essam Rashad
Remix – Nitin Sawhney
Written-By – Rashad, Atlas

NATACHA ATLAS - Ayeshteni

 (2001) Mantra / WV (image+.cue), lossless

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