Search - Said Mrad :: Said Mrad Plays Baligh Hamdi

Dance Music, Simply Amazing!!!

Hady Abi Nader | UK | 10/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oriental music with Techno: this CD will make you dance!! A great way to get introduced to Arabic & Oriental Music mixed by a talented Lebanese DJ.
If you've never listened to oriental tunes before, you may find this a bit weird at first... listen to all the tracks and you'll feel the magic of the Orient sprayed through your stereo speakers.Saïd Mrad's remixes are played in many night clubs in Beirut, Paris, ... it creates incredible atmosphere in clubs, no one can keep itself from "waist shaking"This CD is a tribute to Baligh Hamdi who composed for Abdel Halim Hafez among many other famous Egyptian and Arabic artists.
All tracks are superb [No lyrics!], I personally prefer "Mawoud" (Club Mix)The CD is a bit expensive at Amazon.com because it's imported from Lebanon ($13 at Virgin Lebanon), but if you can afford it, it's definetely worth buying!! Highly Recommended!!"

Unique blend of techno & the Middle East

Anthony D Ravenscroft | Santa Fe, NM United States | 06/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was recommended to Mrad by a guy who's probably the best doumbek player in the Midwest. We were ripping on DJs who try to incorporate Middle Eastern music into their mixes with absolutely no understanding of the source music. He then walked me over to the CD bin & pulled out this album & "Two Thousand & One Nights: The Orient Beats Back," saying, "You want this guy."While Mrad has tons o' fun with four-on-the-floor & outright disco beats, most American listers will not like the polyrhythms or microtones (the notes "between" those of the standard Western scale, & a vital part of world music). But, man, can it liven up the dancing....A few highlights, then. There's not a loser on the album, so it's worth the price. I couldn't find a single guitar on the CD, but be warned that the thick layer of strings (multitracked violin) can sound a bit "gloppy" until you get used to it.Dive in anywhere, really. Try "Sawah" with funky bass & laid-back accordion. Or the infectious "Gana El Hawa" for a sexy (!!) riq (heavy tambourine) riff & the catchy ney line. "Maddah El Kamar" starts with a techno loop, flips to fingertip percussion, then takes off on a bluesy bassline, and from there everything gets danceably weird -- you'll love it.Unless you work really hard, you'll be glad you bought this, even at premium prices."