V.A. - The Rough Guide To Arabesque (2002) FLAC (tracks), lossless

 People are familiar with rai or some of the more traditional music to emerge from North Africa and the Middle East, but lately there's also been an undercurrent of more adventurous music -- hip-hop and electronica. The roots still shout loud and proud, but the sounds (often made by artists who've moved to Europe or the U.S.) are as hard and modern as anything, anywhere -- for example, the rap of Clotaire K or Mafia Maghrebine, the edgy, skittering rhythms of U-Cef, or the powerful trance of Gnawa Impulse. And this compilation makes the ideal introduction, from the pounding beats of "A Muey A Muey," which was a revelation and breakthrough when it first appeared, to the contemporary remix of Ali Slimani's "S'Habi." The full range of the music gets an airing here, and for anyone with an urge to explore the lesser-known (for now) areas of Maghrebi music, this is the starting point. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1 Aisha Kandisha's Jarring Effects – A Muey A Muey 5:11
Written-By – Aisha Kandisha's Jarring Effects
2 Oojami – Fantasy 5:05
Written-By – Oojami
3 Clotaire K – Beyrouth Ecoeurée 3:41
Written-By – Clotaire K
4 Nickodemus Feat. Andrea Montiero – Desert Dancer 5:32
Written-By – Nickodemus
5 Momo – Dourbiha 6:22
Written By – Lahbib, Nania, Il Idrissi
6 Ali Slimani – S'Habi (Stereomovers Remix) 8:01
Lyrics By – Cheb Nacim
Music By – Yazid Fentazi
Music By, Arranged By, Lyrics By – Ali Slimani
Remix – Stereomovers
7 DuOud – Zanzibar 5:39
Oud – Mehdi Haddab
Written-By – Smadj
8 Mafia Maghrebine – Frère Faut Que Tu Saches 4:34
Written By – R. Kadoussi/A. Lazaar/L. Tlili, J. Ouize
9 Bled Runner Feat. Dida Brother–    Sidi Mansour (Remix) 5:39
Traditional
10 Soap Kills – Tango 4:07
Written-By – Ziad Awad, Khaled Abou El Nassr
11 U-Cef – Aalash Kwawna 5:04
Written-By – Moulay Youssef Adel
12 Gnawa Impulse – Lahillah Express (Remix) 3:55

AZAM ALI - From Night to the Edge od Day (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If you think you detect a bittersweet edge to the songs brought together on this collection of lullabies performed by Niyaz vocalist Azam Ali, you're right. Her interpretations of these melodies -- which come from a variety of cultural traditions -- are informed by her belief that lullabies are intended as much for the comfort of the adults who sing them as for the soothing of the infants and children to whom they are sung, and that they often communicate much about our attempts to deal with the harshness and sorrow of the world. None of this is to say that this album, which was conceived after the birth of her first child, is gloomy or difficult; it is somewhat dark at times, and to Western ears, it may frequently sound exotic and mysterious, but the songs are invariably tender and loving, even when they are simultaneously mesmerizing and mystical. When word got out among her friends that she was putting together this program, material came to her from several different directions: the great Palestinian oud player Naser Musa wrote the song "Faith" for her, and a friend shared with her the traditional Turkish song "Neni Desem." Others led her to songs of the Iraqi Kurds ("Lai Lai") and the Iranian Azeris ("Shirin"). Many of these songs have no regular rhythm, and most are accompanied by a motley assortment of strings, reed instruments, and percussion. None is less than lovely, and the variety of ways in which they are lovely is very impressive, as is Ali's voice itself. by Rick Anderson  

LE TRIO JOUBRAN - Randana (2004) Mp3

BURHAN ÖÇAL & ISTAMBUL ORIENTAL ENSEMBLE - Gypsy Rum (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

LE TRIO JOUBRAN - Majâz (2007)

For their second outing, the fraternal group Le Trio Joubran have looked at what worked last time and done it with greater intensity, as well as bringing a few new elements into the mix. The core idea -- all ouds, all the time -- remains the same, but when they come out of the blocks with "Masâr," a track based around a simple riff that just builds and builds in invention and intensity, it's apparent that they've learned a few tricks since their last disc. The compositions are very good, all originals apart from the traditional "Min Zamân," and show that the three brothers are rapidly maturing, not only as performers, but also composers. Just how far they've come as players is revealed on their solo cuts, which give each one of them a chance to improvise, and showcase spirits from the fiery to the introspective. What seemed cute the first time out -- three brothers from Palestine all playing ouds -- has become a very vital group. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1 Masâr 04:55
Le Trio Joubran
2 Roubbama 06:08
Le Trio Joubran
3 Laytana 04:20
Le Trio Joubran
4 Tanâsim I (Adnan) 04:21
Le Trio Joubran
5 Majâz 05:16
Le Trio Joubran
6 Shajan 05:20
 Le Trio Joubran
7 Tanâsim II (Samir) 04:20
Le Trio Joubran
8 Sama-Sounounou 02:59
Le Trio Joubran
9 Min Zamân 04:50
Traditional
10 Tanâsim III (Wissam) 03:50
Le Trio Joubran
11 Hawâna 04:21
Le Trio Joubran
Credits
Oud – Adnan Joubran, Samir Joubran, Wissam Joubran
Percussion – Yousef Hbeisch

LE TRIO JOUBRAN - Majâz 

[2007] Randana / CBR320k / scans 

O Púbis da Rosa

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

O Púbis da Rosa

KRONOS QUARTET / MAHSA & MARJAN VAHDAT - Placeless (2019) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Many of the Kronos Quartet's biggest-selling albums, going back to 1991's Five Tango Sensations, have drawn on vernacular traditions from outside the European-American sphere, and some, such as Caravan (2000), have drawn from the music of the Near East. Placeless, though, is a standout among the bunch, for several reasons. The album contains settings of Persian poetry by Rumi and various other classical and modern writers in the same ecstatic vein, hovering between religious mysticism and sensuality. The title comes from a poem by Rumi, who famously proclaimed, "I am not from the world, not from beyond. My place is placelessness. My trace is tracelessness." The album's most immediately attractive feature is the singing of Iranian vocalist Mahsa Vahdat, who has performed widely outside Iran but is forbidden by the country's Islamic government from appearing at home. (She still lives in Tehran and teaches privately.) Vahdat also wrote the melodic settings, and these are fascinating. They are not classical improvisations in the Persian system of modes but small chunks that fit the devotional exclamations of the poetry beautifully. And they approach the poetry in various ways. Sample Fate Astray, with its squarish, almost Western-style melody, and you'll also encounter another strong point: the variety of the arrangements. These draw on the work of various figures, both Persian and Western (this one is by Jacob Garchik), and they call for a wide range of textures from the Kronos Quartet, from evocations of plucked-string accompaniment to traditional string quartet textures, and even Middle Eastern percussion. The melodies are bewitching in themselves, and they seem to pass through prisms and come out in different shades. Highly recommended; one of the Kronos' strongest releases in recent years. by James Manheim 
Tracklist 
1 Placeless 3:10
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Sahba Aminikia
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Rumi
2 My Ruthless Companion 3:16
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Sahba Aminikia
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa, Marjan Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Rumi
3 My Tresses In The Wind 3:32
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Jacob Garchik
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Marjan Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Forough Farrokhzad
4 I Was Dead 3:12
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Atabak Elyasi
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Rumi
5 Endless Embrace 3:45
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Atabak Elyasi
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Atabak Elyasi
6 Fate Astray 2:58
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Jacob Garchik
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Marjan Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Hafez
7 The Sun Rises 5:44
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Sahba Aminikia
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa, Marjan Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Forough Farrokhzad
8 Vanishing Lines 5:25
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Sahba Aminikia
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Hafez
9 The Might Of Love 3:05
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Atabak Elyasi
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Hafez
10 Far Away Glance 3:13
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Aftab Darvishi
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Marjan Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Atabak Elyasi, Mohammed Ibrahim Jafari
11 Leyli's Nightingales 3:36
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Atabak Elyasi
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa, Marjan Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Atabak Elyasi
12 The Color Of Moonlight 4:18
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Atabak Elyasi
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Atabak Elyasi, Mohammed Ibrahim Jafari
13 Lover, Go Mad 3:23
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Sahba Aminikia
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Marjan Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Rumi
14 Eternal Meadow 3:19
Arranged By [Arrangement] – Sahba Aminikia
Music By [Melody] – Mahsa Vahdat
Vocals – Mahsa Vahdat
Words By [Poem] – Rumi
Credits
Cello – Sunny Yang
Ensemble – Kronos Quartet
Performer [Kronos Quartet] – David Harrington, Hank Dutt, John Sherba, Sunny Yang
Text By [English Translation (Tracks 1, 3 to 6, 9 to 14)] – Erik Hillestad, Mahsa Vahdat
Text By [English Translation (Tracks 2, 7, 8)] – Sohrab Mahdavi
Text By [Quote On Cover (English)] – Rumi
Viola – Hank Dutt
Violin – David Harrington, John Sherba

KRONOS QUARTET / MAHSA & MARJAN VAHDAT - Placeless

(2019) KKV / FLAC (tracks), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

OUM KALTHOUM - Best Of Oum Kalthoum [20CD-BOX SET]

OUM KALTHOUM - Best Of Oum Kalthoum

 [20CD-BOX SET] Africa Cassette /  CBR320 / scans

O Púbis da Rosa