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Reviews

Review of Borders Behind

Borders Behind

Adnan Joubran

World Village

Rating: ★★★★

You can understand the youngest of the three Joubran brothers wanting to branch out and record his own album. Le...

Reviewed in issue Apr/May/2014

Review of Kali City

Kali City

Karim Baggili

Home Records

Rating: ★★★

Karim Baggili is a Belgian-born composer, guitarist and oud (Arab lute) player of Jordanian/Yugoslavian heritage, which means that he has...

Reviewed in issue Apr/May/2014

Review of The Rough Guide to Arabic Café

The Rough Guide to Arabic Café

VARIOUS ARTISTS

World Music Network

Rating: ★★

What exactly does Arabic Café mean? The liner notes to this CD explain that, in contrast to the clinical coffeehouse...

Reviewed in issue Apr/May/2014

Review of Deeyah Presents: Iranian Woman

Deeyah Presents: Iranian Woman

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Heilo Records

Rating: ★★★★

One of the most interesting untold stories (outside Iran) of music after the 1979 revolution is the emergence of an...

Reviewed in issue Apr/May/2014

Review of Makan

Makan

Driss El Maloumi

Top of the World

Contre-Jour

Rating: ★★★★★

Driss El Maloumi’s previous solo album L’Âme Dansée showed him to be one of the most promising oud (lute) players...

Reviewed in issue March/2014

Review of Birds Requiem

Birds Requiem

Dhafer Youssef

Okeh Records

Rating: ★★★★

Just how many jazz oud recordings does the world really need? While there certainly is a shared tradition of improvisation...

Reviewed in issue March/2014

Review of Les Nuits

Les Nuits

Natacha Atlas & Samy Bishai

Mazeeka Records

Rating: ★★★★

This collaboration between the Anglo-Middle Eastern singer and Egyptian composer and multi-instrumentalist Samy Bishai emerged from a stage collaboration with...

Reviewed in issue March/2014

Review of Grandmother’s Dance

Grandmother’s Dance

Trio Samara

Footprint Records

Rating: ★★★★

Ahmad al Khatib’s 2012 album Sabîl was one of the most exciting oud (Arab lute) recordings in recent years. His...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

Review of An Anthology (1857-1912)

An Anthology (1857-1912)

Abd Al-Hayy Hilmi

AMAR Foundation

Rating: ★★★★★

This is a cross¬section of the legacy of Egyptian singer Abd Al-Hayy Hilmi, whose final years of life coincided with...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

Review of Oriental Blues

Oriental Blues

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Network Medien

Rating: ★★

Oriental Blues has a slightly curious concept, but one that the liner notes of this CD go to some lengths...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

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