"Layalina" 2012, The Album No One Asked For

The marketing monkeys at Rotana met with the department of packing old crap no body cares about and together they put forth an album that offers nothing new and nobody seems to have noticed it. The singers come from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Iraq and they sing in different dialects.

 In this day and age, you cannot get away with releasing an album with 6 tracks of no original material and no theme. What does Elissa have to do with Majid Al Mohandis and Rashid Al Majid? and what does Carol Samah have to do with Abdel Majid Abdallah?

1.  اليسا - جوايا ليك Elissa Gowa Ya Leek
2. راشد الماجد - سلام عليهم Rashid Al Majid Salam Alyhom
3. عبدالمجيد عبدالله - مااذكر متى Abdel Majid Abdallah
4. فضل شاكر/ يارا - خذني معك Fadel Shaker and Yara Kedny Ma'ak
5. كارول سماحه / مروان خوري - يارب Carol Samaha and Marwan Khoury Ya Rab
6. ماجد المهندس - فرصه مجنونه Majid Al Mohandis Forsah Majnoonah

These are all talented entertainers with different fans and different strength points. But unlike previous albums, that Rotana did there was a clear theme...romantic songs, sad ones, Lebanese ones....etc. If this album sells 5 thousand copies, Rotana should do a victory dance.  

راشد الماجد ...سلام عليهم

Lindsey Stirling Re-imagines Phantom of the Opera

I have never been a big fan of operas, but there is one that everyone was talking about, the Phantom of the Opera which was later made into a movie, but that was not enough to convince me to buy into it. A little clip on YouTube has manged to do the trick.

The lady behind it is a 25 years old Lindsey Stirling who has attended BYU, the same school that I happen to also hold a degree from. She makes it a lot more fun, exciting and whole new level of spunky. The customs, and the cinematography are captivating. Lindsey is a violinist who rocks out, she makes this art form accessible to so many of us without tarnishing this classical instrument.

I love the bits and the concert scene, Lindsey looks very comfortable performing this song in a number of settings. I cannot wait to see and hear more of Lindsey Stirling who is promising an album in September of this year.

Phantom of the Opera- Lindsey Stirling

Muslim Songs For Kids/Children "My Little Girl"

I do not know weather Muslim singer Maher Zain has kids or not (if you are reading this, stop Google-ing his wife, it's trending on Google) But it seems that his little girl Aya Zain has added her audio track to this song--she also gets credit.

As a father he is making her a song, a personal one like he has never sounded before. He sounds like a grateful man for his little bundle of joy called Aya. I think it's cute when parents sing for their kids, by sharing their songs with us, we can use them as our own since not all of us can sing.

He has even made the song music video as a crayons with colors and all those things children love. Buy Maher Zain's album from iTunes so that he can  provide for his family.

Maher Zain - My Little Girl | Official Lyrics Video

Good Music Doesn't Have To Come In Skimpy Outfits

Or so Egyptian singer Shahinaz would have you convinced. Shahinaz wore the head cover few years ago, and got married later to what seems like a nice guy. But she is the star and he realizes that, so thankfully we still see more of her and listen to her warm voice. Eslam is the other voice on this track, and it seems that the young singer knows his way with a guitar. A song that asks people not to be part of a strife without talking politics does clearly has something right.

Her hottest song to date is a duet with a young man about doing good for Egypt, the place that unites so many under its sky. This is a good song and a great choice for Shahinaz and the new comer Eslam Ansari, they are compatible and the lyrics are mellow in the love of Egypt. The duet uses young kids as a chorus and a clearly fresh sounding Eastern music and Egyptian beat.
 
Shahinaz looks glamorous and dazzling as ever, she does is with modesty and style worthy of the hottest fashion houses. The song does speak in more than one tongue, I am hearing some Nubi (language of some parts of Egypt)

The singer has a planned show for Ramadan for the ladies with another female co-host. Go ahead, enjoy the places where this music video has been filmed.

 شاهيناز وإسلام أنصاري - حاجة واحدة ( دويتو) 2012

Najwa Karam, A Rare Lebanese Patriot جديد نجوى كرم - اسرج بالليل حصانك

Najwa Karam has always spoken about her pride of her home country. She is so proud that she would not sing in any other dialect but her own. She would not kiss up to other Arabs, she views them as peers. She always speaks her mind and when she has problems with her producers, she teaches them a lesson and they apologize to her.

She always says yes to any concert and function at home, she is the gal that's happy to sing in any music festival in Lebanon--big or small. She has sang to Lebanon in many occasions, she celebrates the army and incorporates them in some of her music videos. What makes her different than most other Lebanese celebrities is her faith in her country. She is ALWAYS Lebanese. She does not give u on her country even when the times are hard and the spirits are low. 

She walks tall and her heart beats Lebanon all the way. Many thought she would be part of the song supporting the army--a giant music video, but she wasn't. Instead to celebrate the army, she has her won song. To be honest her song is much better than that other one. It has more pride and it has more energy.

Hear it our, and I am sure, you will think, Najwa still got it. She is the rocking star of Arabic music. A song tells of a love story of a women who has a crush on her solider. She just wants to see him back victorious. She is so PROUD! The song makes me want to enlist this minute.

Najwa Karam - Isrouj Bil Lail 7sanak جديد نجوى كرم - اسرج بالليل حصانك

Ramy Fares Break Out With God and Prayer

Ramy Fares wants to pray and ask for peace from the heavens, but when someone like Ramy wants to pray, it has to be recorded, his voice is a treat and a lesson at the same time.

He might never maker another song--after all this is a really crowded time for singers, but he can boast about this track of 3 minutes of solid prayer. Ramadan is the best time to hear new comers from Egypt, thy have little competition and most stations find god during this season.

And with that most songs do not make money, people gladly do them for free in the hopes they would get their name out there. So Khaleny Fakrak is Ramy Fares' calling card..a fancy one indeed

Ramy Fares - Khaleny Fakrak / رامى فارس - خلينى فاكرك

Palestinian Rapper Puts The Spotlight Back On Gaza

Mc Gaza is a gifted young rapper from Gaza with fans all across the Palestinian land and Egypt. The young rapper fills in the void for local rappers who are also well versed in politics and most importantly, the various rapping styles.

I like the way he flies from one note to another, and how he spits one line after another with a speed worthy of the great boxer Mohammad Ali himself. I know there have been a number of attempts at making rap a cool thing in Palestine, but I believe Mc Gaza might mange to do just that at home. He will do this, but not overdressing in those rapper like outfits, and making funny shapes....he has gone for the normal all Palestinian look and chose to rap about things at home and not some controversial topic.

And for his music video he turns himself into an activist and brings rare images for Gaza showing that no matter what life always goes on. His energy and the energy of young talents communicate that so well.

Mc Gaza - Heek Bnshofha | هيك بنشوفها


Mc Gaza - The Story Isn't Worthless - القصة مش خاوية (Music Video)