Turning Back

It's not often that a Middle Eastern CD comes along for review that is jointly sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Rolex. Dina El Wedidi is a young Egyptian singer-songwriter who first came to prominence when her song, ‘Khelina Nehlam’ (Let's Dream) became a soundtrack of sorts to the optimistic first blooms of the Arab Spring.

She has since been mentored by Gilberto Gil (thanks to Rolex) and been a member of The Nile Project, featuring musicians from countries along the river (see #91). The song ‘Hozn El Ganoub’ (Grief of the South), included here, was a standout track on The Nile Project album. Turning Back shows her experimenting with a variety of musical styles and collaborators. ‘El Liel’ (The Night) is a duet with Gilberto Gil. In some ways this is a strength, as there's a real sense of anticipation when each track ends and the next one starts: will it be smooth bossa nova, Arabic ballad or full on jazz-rock? Because El Wedidi is such a charismatic singer, you’re happy to go with it; however, the album's focus leans more towards the production, by The Nile Project's Miles Jay, than the songs and the overall effect is not yet as coherent as it might be. Nonetheless, she's a considerable young talent and it’ll be interesting to hear Dina El Wedidi's future recordings.