Search - Various Artists :: Arabic Groove

So FUNky!

MELISSA CALDWELL | COLUMBUS, OH United States | 06/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fun, funky, totally danceable CD. I love it and have had it in my CD player since it arrived. Some of the tunes I was already familiar with, such as Amr Diab's Amarain, and Natacha Atlas' Kidda. There are artists here that are new to me, and I'm looking forward to discovering their releases. My favorite tracks on Arabic Groove are Galbi, which has a driving back beat and a hip hop feel, and Heli Meli, a song that incorporates traditional rhythms and instruments, as well as some traditional sounding backing vocals by female singers. The packaging is great, with photos, lengthy bios and descriptions of the songs. These things, along with some English translation of the lyrics, help me to decide if a piece is appropriate to bellydance to. While this CD can skip from one track to the next just like a regular CD, when played straight through, there are no breaks because each song flows into the one following. It's perfect party music, put it in the player and let it go, and the dancing doesn't have to stop."

Arabic Bubblegum Dance Groove

Kevin L. Nenstiel | Kearney, Nebraska | 08/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I start this review with a word of warning. This album is not ethnic Arabic folk music, as you might expect from Putumayo. This is dance-club pop, and sounds great on a surround-sound system or home theatre. If you want ethnic Arabic folk, there is plenty of it to be found; you just won't find it on this disc.That's not to say you probably won't like what you find on this disc. The souped-up tracks you'll find here, mixing a more stereotypical Arabic sound with a radio-friendly, distinctly American synth-pop sound, are rollicking and enjoyable. You can't do the Electric Slide with these songs, but if you just want to get up and move your feet where the music takes you, this is your compilation.The tracks dissolve into one another like dance tracks at a club, and many dissolve almost seamlessly. They follow a reasonable arc from Abdel Ali Slimani's "Moi et Toi," which begins with a traditional folk riff, through to Cheb Tarik's "L'histoire," which samples a disco track from Kool and the gang. The pace varies just enough to keep from tiring dancers, even providing a slow-paced respite around track 8.Though primarily a male-artist-dominated album, the two standout tracks must surely be the two female songs, Dania's "Leiley" and Natacha Atlas' "Kidda." As both songs have backing tracks from Transglobal Underground (whose influence is evident throughout the disk), this surely says something about the pervasive power of the Arabic power pop ensemble.Though there is one track each from Moroccan, Libyan, and Lebanese artists, most of the CD demonstrates the give-and-take relationship between two centers of Arabic pop culture: Cairo, Egypt, and the large expatriate Algerian community in France. These two centers have a good symbiotic relationship, turning out some of the most dynamic dance music being recorded today.This disc is wildly incomplete, but it wasn't intended as a thorough examination of the style it represents. Like most Putumayo samplers, it's a rough introduction, intended to whet your appetite and encourage you to seek out more of this style. Like most world music, it will whiz past some people without leaving a mark. To the dedicated listener and red-blooded world citizen, however, it will open up sonic opportunities well worth pursuing further."

There are better options for Arab music

B. Casey | 05/02/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I thought this was a mediocre offering. A couple of the songs are too Westernized and not Arabic enough ... kinda like listening to Sting do Arab music rather than the real thing.The production is also poor...some of the songs end abruptly, as if the producers weren't paying attention when they put together the tracks.That said, there are some really good songs here, especially those by Natacha Atlas and Dania. But then, you could just directly buy their CDs.A better compilation is Arabesque...much more original, better production, and better song selection."