Track Listing

1. Fátima
2. Il-Bulbul Nagha
3. Hawwil Ya Ghannam
4. Lamma Ya Albi
5. Raks Arabi - Naim Karakand
6. Wakef 'Ala Shat Bahar - Hanan
7. La'uli Bayt - Anton Abdel Ahad
8. Arabic Folk Songs - Danny Thomas
9. Flute Imitation
10. Li'b Al Khayl
11. Only You
12. Taqasim 'Ala Al- 'Ud - Jalil Azouz
13. Hall Tadree
14. Al-Jazayer

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #122744 in Music
• Released on: 1997-10-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.com
The musical legacy of European Americans has been well-documented over the years, but one historically significant group has often been overlooked despite their sizeable influence on American culture. We finally get to hear--in a collection of very well remastered 78s--the "oriental" orchestra of Alexander Maloof, Na'im Karakand's marvelous violin solos (which he uses on one track to mimic an Arabic clarinet), and the only known recording of Lebanese TV and radio star Danny Thomas. The 1960s-style echo-chambered recording of singer Kahraman (complete with a howling DJ intro) shows the inroads into the music made by American pop. The package is completed with excellent historical and musicology notes as well as personal observations. --Louis Gibson

Customer Reviews

like finding a lost classic in your grandmother's attic...
To quickly address the above reviewer: It's SUPPOSED to sound aged & scratchy, darling! The lo-fi sound only lends to the ambiance. These songs were recorded fifty-plus years ago, which is exactly how they should - and do - sound.

That being said, this CD is wonderful. I gaurantee that you will listen to this amazing music over and over again. If you at all love middle eastern/belly dancing/world music, you must buy this CD. The minimal sounds, haunting lyrics, unique combination of Oriental and English vocals, all combine to transport you to another place, another time.

I repeat: if you love middle eastern music, or world music in general, this will become THE "go to" CD in your collection. The garbage blaring over most American radio today cannot hold a candle to this amazingly passionate music.

Wine, candles, exotic daydreams.
In my search for middle eastern music, I usually find the horrible disco-pop stuff that makes you think of aggressive, oily men with a lot of bad cologne and exposed chest hair. In this CD, however, you will find exotic, worldy rhythms of the middle east that evoke images of "Oriental" splendor. But you will also notice the sincerity of the artists, marked as much by technical talent as with soul and emotion borne of a longing for home and family. There is a nice mix of instumentals and vocals. A very traditional, pure expression of Arab music.

nostalgic
if you are over 50 and lived in the middle east in your childhood you'll love this CD.it brings back sweet memories.