June 11, 2005
Jewish Rap
If you like that kind of music, you’ll appreciate Raq el Habib (“The servitude of love”) and other long MP3’s by Umm Kulthum, the Egyptian Diva. (From ”Oddio Overplay”)
Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah, played metal-style, by New York metal band Gods of Fire
A Jewish Rap by Joel Moss
Watch one of the songs from Idan Raichel Project which blends Israeli pop with Ethiopian traditional music. Apparantly this one one of the biggest hit records in Israel. (Thank you, Dafna for his second CD)
Jericho's Echo: Punk Rock in the Holy Land. In Israel, a vibrant punk scene has emerged in a society torn apart by the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians
More About Music From The Middle East Here
June 11, 2005 in Music from the Middle East | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 05, 2005
Israeli-Palestinian Peace song
A special musical event took place in Israel last Sunday, when David Broza, an Israeli pop star and Wisam Murad, a Palestinian musician, performed a beautiful, simple peace song that they co-wrote, In My Heart (B'Libi). The song was played for the first time simultaneously on Galei Tzahal, the Israeli Army Radio and Voice of Palestine. Richard Silverstein blogged the event and added lots of background to the story.
Raqs al-Janub, by oud-player Issa Boulos
Ruba Hatem, a Palestinian-Jordanian pop singer
Gentle Stars, electronic composition by John Kameel Farah, Palestinian-Canadian musician
The Chehade brothers. Despite all the difficulties inherent in the business of making, performing and enjoying music in modern day Palestine, a remarkably vibrant and dedicated musical community has grown up in the country, especially in East Jerusalem where the National Music Conservatory continues to nurture successive generations of Palestinian talent
El-Funoun Palestinian Dance Troupe
From her bio: Maysoon Zayid, the “Palestinian Muslim Virgin From New Jersey With Cerebral Palsy!”
Musical Intifadah - the website of Doc Jazz, amateur Palestinian musician in Netherlands
Iron Sheik - Palestinian-American hip hop artist. On the scene of the New Pro-Palestinian Rap Music
The Philistines - U.S. based rap group
This is the first post that I am composing together with another blogger, Haitham Sabbah of Sabbah's Blog, who provided most of the links related to the Palestinian music scene. Thank you, Sabbah. If I get some positive response, I may want to repeat the process with other bloggers perhaps, and on other topics. Contact me for details.
The bloody songbook above was stained when Itzhak Rabin was murdered in 1995. The song he just finished singing was called "Song of Peace". More About Music From The Middle East Here
Update on 4/8/05: See MSNBC article about the event: "Peace song serenades Palestinians, Israelis"
April 5, 2005 in Co-blogged with, Music from the Middle East | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 14, 2005
Belinda Bedeković!
Not from the Middle East but very urgent! You have to listen to the wild Croatian accordionist Belinda Bedekovic tearing it up on the keytar. Click on photo inside to watch her video. See how she is becoming an international sensation overnight!
And if you want to hear the most nostalgic Israeli music you can imagine, listen to these old recordings of composer Sasha Argov (mostly from the 50’s and 60’s). This free version plays only short snippets of each song, but you’ll get a large collection of 40 evergreens.
The great divide. Israel's leading rapper is a rightwing Jew with Ariel Sharon on his side. His rival is a leftwing Arab who compares Jews to Nazis. Hip-hop was supposed to bring them together - but politics keeps forcing them apart
The Belly Dance Album of the Month. (From Radio Bastet - Vintage Belly Dance Music)
Un-related, but very beautiful: A piece about Milton Glaser, done with "Adobe". (From Lindsay Marshall's Bifurcated Rivets)
Many Links About Middle Eastern Music Here
Today’s “Blog Of The Day” WFMU's Beware Of The Blog is Essentially Necessary, and where I found the Belinda Bedekovic clip. I finally made a little Linking Icon the “winner” can stick on their site, if they wish
March 14, 2005 in Music from the Middle East | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack
December 31, 2004
Iraq's best singer
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The Bob Marley of Pakistan, the Elvis of the East, Khan was one of the most popular singers in the Indian subcontinent. He predominantly sang qawwali, the music of devotional Sufism, but incorporated other forms including Khyal (traditional classical) to produce a unique style that appealed to followers of all religions. He performed with the Party, a group of highly trained Pakistani musicians which included several family members
Burger Ranch, a music video by the Israeli pop group “Ping Pong”, by Ido Fluk
Discography of Ester Ofarim
Iraq's best singer, Mohammed Abdul Razzaq Abdul Fattah Al-Gubbenchi, with many clips. (Not for the faint of heart!)
Jewish Songs of Celebration & Struggle. (From Tikun Olam)
6arab's Most Wanted songs from Miami Band
Many Links About Middle Eastern Music Here
December 31, 2004 in Music from the Middle East | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 24, 2004
Arabic Songs
Kazem al Sahir is The Iraqi Elvis. Here he is singing We Want Peace with Lenny Kravitz
Rahim Al Haj, Iraqi Oud composer
Lebanese singer Fairouz sings Ya Ana Ya Ana. (From the extensive Oriental Tunessite)
Turkish Music Club. (From Kolyom)
Egypt has banned music videos showing women’s navels
Ask Dr. Klez about klezmer music: “I don’t know if you experience gigs the same way that I do, but everytime I come home from an evening of playing, I’m so hyper that I can’t sleep for practically the whole night, or what’s left of it.. Do you know of any drug-free ways to deal with post-gig buzz?”
Photo above of Imad Abbadi. Many Links About Middle Eastern Music Here
July 24, 2004 in Music from the Middle East | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 27, 2004
Israeli Songs
The operatic snippet ”Hine Od Yam Oleh” by the 18-year-old Israeli Artist Mor Meroz. Beautiful. (From Not a Fish)
Echad Mi Yodea, Passover songs
Shiron- lyrics of over 20,000 Israeli songs
Our Music Links from the Middle East are here
March 27, 2004 in Music from the Middle East | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 31, 2004
Here are the 2003 Music Links from The Middle East
Ad Or Haboker - 10/24/03
Armik, Nuevo Flamenco
Arik Einstein Ringtones... and photo album
Burqua Band from Afganistan - 9/12/03
Chava Alberstein's lyrics
Belly Dance Museum, Belly Dance LP's from the 60'sand Yasmina's Joy of Belly Dancing
Eclectic Links about the Middle East
Farid el Atrash - The greatest Egyptian male singer of all time
Gabi Berlin's Sing-alone, (He is my cousin's cousin)
Googoosh The Iranian Maria Callas (From "The Iranian") - 10/19/03
HaGashashim, Israeli comedy group - 10/11/03
Halutsim, Israeli rap - 10/11/03
Hundred most outstanding Israeli rock albums since 1969
Hannie Abokhamis - Palestinian Desert Techno - 11/16/03
History of Klezmer music
Idan Raichel Project, haunting modern Ethiopian music (From Gil Shterzer)
Ilham Al Madfai, the coolest Iraqi Singer Ever
Israeli-born Ishtar, "Oriental pop" singer in Paris - 10/16/03
Israeli sensation, Haim Moshe and his oriental-style hit songs (From the ultimate "Israeli Music" website, which offers similar short samplings of practically all Israeli musicians, for example, Greek-style Shlomi Seranga , Gad Elbaz and Aris San. Listen to the whole list here).
Israel's hip-hop king, Rapper "Subliminal" Wins Fans and Angers Critics - 12/11/03
Laila Murad - 10/2/03
Maqam - Fine Arabic & Middle Eastern Music
Nostalgic Israeli songs from the 50's & 60's and from the 20's & 30's
Oi Va Voi - 11/16/03
Omar Faruk Tekbilek - 11/16/03
Oud Musik - Mohammed El-Bakkar, "The Man, the Music, the Legend", (Thank you Incoming Signals) and Mike - Master of the Oud
Remembering Ofra Haza
Robert Gass and "On Wings Of Song" , choral arrangements of sacred vocals, from the one & only "Radio Nonbiri"
Samira Saeed - 11/16/03
Samir Shukry - 10/28/03
Sarit Hadad , the "Israeli Celine Dion"
Sefarad Records (From JAFI links)
Shoshana Damari singing "Kalaniyot" - 10/11/03
Some Jewish Cantors on 78 rpm records, and "Chazzanut", a site on Jewish Liturgical Music
Songs of Assyria - 11/16/03
Sudanese Music from Michael Huether
Surfy Hava Nagila - 10/13/03
The Freedman Archive, over 25,000 Yiddish and other Jewish songs and albums
Theodorakis's strong feelings about the war in Iraq
Today's Hit-parade in Israel (Thanks, Lorien)
True History of the Dumbek ("Tamboor") - 10/24/03
Umm Kulthum, The Star of the East - The greatest Egyptian female singer of all time
"Unknown to No One", The next Iraqui music sensation
Yair Dalal - 11/16/03
Yehoram Gaon - 8/30/03
More About Music From The Middle East Here
January 31, 2004 in Music from the Middle East | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack