#4541, Cosmopolitan Cairo
Explore music from the Egyptian underground, as well as music from legendary singers Oum Kalthoum and Warda for this New Sounds. Listen to work by Cairo-based composer producer Maurice Louca, an adventurous musician who has co-founded many bands, Bikya, Alif and Dwarves of East Agouza, and collaborated with many others. Louca's most recent release is called Saet El-Hazz which translates to both "The Luck Hour," (and a good time along the lines of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.) The album brings together Arabic music, psychedelic folk, improvisation and custom instruments – both a guitar and an Indonesian Serang capable of playing the quarter tones of Arabic maqams. And, the record is a collaboration with the “A” Trio, the Lebanese improvisational group featuring Mazen Kerbaj on prepared trumpet, Sharif Sehnaoui on prepared guitar, and Raed Yassin on prepared double bass.
There’s also music by Cairo-based oud player and composer Natik Awayez, from the record, Manbarani, which was produced by Louca. Then listen to a reworking of the popular Egyptian classic “Ya Garat Al Wadi” by Jerusalem In My Heart, together with Montréal-Cairo musician/composer Sam Shalabi.
Hear the legendary voice of Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum, (also Oum Kalsoum, Umm Kulthum) played with a traditional Arabic Orchestra. Plus, there’s a reissue of music by 1970’s Egyptian pop composer Baligh Hamdi, and music from one of the singers he wrote for, Warda. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4541, Cosmopolitan Cairo (First Aired 9/23/2021)
ARTIST: Oum Kalthoum
WORK: Hedeeth al rouh, excerpt [1:00]
RECORDING: Oum Kalsoum, The Star of the East
SOURCE: MLP / World Music Office
INFO: Appears on other digital compilations as well.
ARTIST: Maurice Louca
WORK: Bidayat (Holocene) [4:24]
RECORDING: Saet El-Hazz
SOURCE: Northern Spy Records
INFO: https://mauricelouca.northern-spy.com/biglink
ARTIST: Natik Awayez
WORK: Al Manafi º º (The Land of the Exiles) [4:55]
RECORDING: Manbarani
SOURCE: Sublime Frequencies
INFO: natikawayez.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Alif
WORK: I tiraf (Confession) [4:56]
RECORDING: Aynama-Rtama
SOURCE/INFO: alifmusic.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Maurice Louca
WORK: Higamah (Hirudinea) [6:12]
RECORDING: Saet El-Hazz
SOURCE: Northern Spy Records
INFO: https://mauricelouca.northern-spy.com/biglink
ARTIST: Oum Kalthoum
WORK: Hedeeth al rouh [3:30]
RECORDING: Oum Kalsoum, The Star of the East
SOURCE: MLP / World Music Office
INFO: Appears on other digital compilations as well.
ARTIST: Warda
WORK: Khaleek Hena El Wadaa, excerpt [5:26]
RECORDING: Khaleek Hena El Wadaa Live
SOURCE: Sout El Phan
INFO: Available at AppleMusic, Youtube Music, Spotify
ARTIST: Baligh Hamdi
WORK: Salamat [5:24]
RECORDING: Modal Instrumental Pop of 1970s Egypt
SOURCE: Sublime Frequencies
INFO: Due out Oct. 1, 2021
ARTIST: Omar Khorshid
WORK: Saout El Hobb [6:15]
RECORDING: Belly Dance With Omar Khorshid And His Magic Guitar Volume 2
SOURCE: EMI
INFO: Try Discogs.com
ARTIST: Jerusalem In My Heart
WORK: Wa Ta atalat Loughat Al Kalam, Part 1 [6:36]
RECORDING: Daqa’iq Tudaiq
SOURCE: Constellation Records
INFO: cstrecords.com
