Egyptian Music

General Arabic Compilations

Egyptian Music

Turkish Music

The Best Belly Dance Album in the World….. Ever Vol 1
Label: Virgin France Catalogue Number: 3108712

Track Listings

1. Amani Fe el Sharq
2. Disco el Sharq
3. Windows of the East
4. Mirjanah
5. Samara
6. Beaad
7. Noura
8. Ana Fi Entizarak
9. Hicaz Dolap - Esin Engin Orchestra
10. Belly Dance Steps
11. Arabian Rhapsody

General Rating:
A fantastic album for any student of Middle Eastern Dance. Upbeat numbers with baladi, taqasims and classics – what more could you want!?

Teachers Rating:
Wow – so much to say!

1. Long introduction, with transitions and easily identifiable sections
2. Traditional baladi
3. Think classical veil starting with a walk down a flight of stairs – if only it were longer…
4. Excellent for quick transition skills and the idea of using travelling steps and stationary sections
5-8. Typical Egyptian pieces of differing lengths
9-10. Short and lively – excellent for short solo pieces
11. Think film score and you are on the right tracks

The Best Belly Dance Album in the World – Ever Vol 2
Label: Emi Catalogue number: EMI091322

Track Listing

1. Dalah Farook Salama
2. Ala rimsh ayounha Ahmed Fouad Hassan Group
3. Gozi Farook Salama
4. Losy Farook Salama
5. Mahgola Farook Salama
6. Heelw wekadab Ammar El Sharie
7. El falaha Ammar El Sharie
8. Balady Farook Salama
9. Balady solo Jihad Akl
10. Tabla solo George Nikd
11. Ya mahalem Farook Salama
12. Hawa ya hawa/Salamat(medley) Ahmed Fouad

General Rating:
Follows in much the same footsteps as volume 1 but feels more Egyptian to me than the first album. You can buy each separately as a stand alone album but having the two makes the range more complete.

Teachers Rating:
All sound traditional.

2. Is my all time favourite song and arrangement – so anything I say will be extremely biased- its fantastic for structure, instruments, when to move, when to stand still, matching moves to music – I could go on and on……

3. Has a strong maqsoum rhythm which makes it very useful for drills or simple choreographies

4. Feels like Egyptian music should be – a classical entrance, with wonderful taqasims.

The rest of the album now becomes (to my ears) a bit samey – the only tabla solo is quite dull, the baladi solo – well best left unsaid. Given the upbeatedness of the end of the first album this came as a surprise.

The Best of Belly Dance from Egypt, Lebanon, Arabia, Turkey
Label: Arc Catalogue Number: EUCD1358

Track Listings

1. Aziza - Hossam Ramzy
2. Tokat Sarmasi - Esin Engin
3. Min Aboukra L'Ashiye - Emad Sayyah
4. Ghannili Sheway Sheway - Hossam Ramzy
5. Saiedeh - Happiest - Aboud Abdel Al
6. Ya Cemil - Leyli
7. Ma 'Zoufat Al Bouzouk - Emad Sayyah
8. Gazal - Essam Rashad
9. Sahara Groove - Hossam Ramzy
10. Arap Ciftellisi - Esin Engin
11. Li Jamal Cleopatra - Emad Sayyah
12. El Hayah Helwa - Hossam Ramzy

General Rating:
A fantastic album for any student of Middle Eastern Dance. Turkish, Lebanese and Egyptian on one CD. Arabic easy listening but also very good to dance to

Teachers Rating:
A must have for everyone including teachers. It has classics and is very good for pointing out the similarities and differences between the three styles. It has veil and I have used 2 as a duet as there are useful question and answer sections.

DELTA FESTIVAL- Belly Dance Volume II

Tracks:-

1. Al Doma We El Teka
2. Dossa
3. Tit Al Sacs
4. El Farawla
5. Meshy El Hassa
6. Dokdok Abu Daka
7. Semsem;
8. El Tablaa
9. El Disco Hal Hadisco
10. Kati
11. Aroussa Halawa
12. Talata Ala Wahda We Noss

Review:
A wonderful album, with a great range of tracks. I use number 8 a lot for performances to the general public as it involves sections of clapping. Number 9 is 70’s disco meets baladi and 10 is great for teaching students restrained shimmies! My only gripe is that volume one is no longer available!

HASAN ABOU EL-SAOUD - Saher El Accordeon ( JAZCD74)

Track listing:-

1. Chic Chac Choc
2. Baba:: Mama
3. Hasan Za'Boula
4. Rakset Al Asaya
5. Ya Salam Al Baladi
6. Al-Sa'idi
7. Hasan Ya Khouli
8. Nova

Review:
Another great album with some classics. The track listing provided on the CD liner is inaccurate though – the above listing is what I believe to be right. I’ve used most of these tracks for teaching purposes ( structure etc) and written or taught choreography to a number of the others

LAYALI EL SHARQ BALADI BAND

An illustrious group of musicians, each a Virtuoso in his field, here presented by Jennifer Carmen. All tracks were recorded live, between 1989 and 1992, during performances of Raqs Sharqi by Suraya Hilal and Company.

Musicians included-
Bashir Abdel Aal: Nai
Ibrahim EL Minyawi: Tabla
Issam El Matrawi: Doff
Sheikh Taha: Accordion
Ibrahim Abdel Khaliq: Sagat
Mostapha Sax: Saxaphone
Sherif Zaki: Tabla
Farouq Mohammed Hassan: Accordion
Farouq El Safi: Doholla, Doff

Tracks listing:-

1. Taramaya; 2:43
2. Baladi Accordion; 4:57
3. Baladi Accordion & Nai; 6:45
4. Taramaya Tabla Solo; 4:39
5. Edella Ya Rashidi; 1:21
6. Afrah Baladi; 18:21
7. Hoopa! Tabla Solo; 6:03
8. Moosd Of The City; 12:27
9. Ya Della Ala Kifuk and Baladi Nelli; 11:15
10. Colours Tabla Solo; 4:12

Review:
OK – I’ll admit to not having listened to this one extensively but its still has nice examples of baladi music

HOSSAM RAMZY - Best of Baladi and Saaidi 2CD (EUCD1389)

On this double CD. You can find here original styles from various regions of Egypt. Booklet in four languages.

Track listing:- CD1.

1. Ala Hesb Wedad Galbi 5:29
2. Ala Nur El-Ain 7:54
3. Ya Nakhletin 5:52
4. Eddalla Ya Gamal Hemdan 8:44
5. Mahla Layali El-Amar 8:44
6. Faris El-Forsan 3:20
7. El-Ourban 6:19
8. Raqset El-Assaya 7:22

Track listing:- CD2

1. Elmalek... Farouq 15:36
2. Wahda Wahda 5:21
3. Bamba Kash-Shar 9:30
5. Gid-Aan Haretna 7:58
6. Eshta 4:00

Review:
Reservations here – it’s a good album for demonstrating the differences between the different styles BUT I don’t find many are user friendly for performances, apart from Eshta . However its more likely that its because of the track lengths rather than hating the music.

HASSAN ABOU SEOUD - Viva Belly Dance (Ref: VDLCD565)

Track listing:-

1. Boss Wa Chouf 3:02
2. Enousa 4:07
3. Layali Ask'shemal 3:11
4. Taksim 3:36
5. El Bimbo 1:41
6. Love Story 2:38
7. Hekaya 3:25
8. Viva Espana 2:49
9. Borriquito 2:34
10. Shady Al Alhan 5:23
11. Wahda Wa Noss 3:27

Review:

I like this album – all the tracks are quite different from each other. Added plus is their length making them suitable for haflah performances.

HOSSAM RAMZY - Best of Hossam Ramzy (EUCD1417 )

Track listing:-

1. Khusara Khusara (What a Loss) 6.47
2. Sallam Allay (My Beloved greeted me) 5.19
3. Bamoot Feeki (I Adore You) 5.05
4. Sehr Oyounik (The Magic in Your Eyes) 5.00
5. Mawwal El-Oshaa (The Lover's Chant) 6.07
6. Enta Omri (III) (You are my Life) 5.38
7. Eshta 4.02
8. Night Foal 2.27
9. Aziza 4.54
10. Gamil Gamal 7.24

Review:
A student must buy album. I have used this one extensilvly throughout my teaching career – especially for veil, musical interpretation (I ran a whole course on interpreting Sehr Oyounik, Aziza and Eshta). I have also used Sallam Allay for a stick choreography

MOSTAFA SAX - Hayati - Best of Egyptian Belly Dance (EUCD1131)

Track listing:-

1. Afrah Baladi 6:59
2. Eddalla Ya Rashidi 9:20
3. Farh Amira 6:58
4. Raqs El-Khail 8:38
5. Henneyya 9:50
6. Sunset at the Sahara 6:55

Review:
This is an OK album for further delving into the Egyptian style for the student and teacher. Again track lengths are long but there are some good tunes on it!

RAFAT MISSO & HOSSAM RAMZY - Ahlamy (EUCD1363)

This soulful collaboration sees Rafat & Hossam at a great height of musical creativity making this album a rich and mystical journey through the sounds of the Middle East.

Track listing:-

1. Sallam Allay (My Beloved Greeted Me) 5.19
2. El Sama Billeyl (The Sky at Night) 7.55
3. Ala Rimsh Oyounha Abilt Hawa (While looking at her eyelashes, I met with love) 5.51
4. Ya Tamr Henna (Hey, Tamr Henna) 5.54
5. El Hanim (Her ladyship) 7.23
6. Lamma Ramatna El Eyin (When I was captured by that look of the eye) 5.24
7. El Shouma (The Saaidi Dancing Stick) 4.38
8. El Baladi Youkal (The Baladi is Edible) 7.20

Review:
I like it! Its nice to have some different compositions of familiar songs – adds a nice twist to what you think you already know how to dance to! A good album for anyone, especially a intermediate level student who wants more of a challenge.

HOSSAM RAMZY - Baladi Plus (EUCD1083)

Baladi is the true dance of Egypt. The word means: “of the country, my country, urbanised folk music, the dance of Egypt.” On this album Hossam captured many styles of urbanised folklore.

Track listing:-

1. "Night Foal" 2:27
2. Arabian Knights 8:28
3. Mashalla 8:04
4. Alla Hai 6:55
5. Baladi We Hetta 9:16
6. Wahda We Bas 7:08
7. Malfuf Ala Westi 7:10
8. Roah Albi 7:17

Review:
Not for the faint hearted. This album will challenge you! There are excellent tracks and great examples of taqasims for teaching purposes.

HOSSAM RAMZY with MAGED SEROUR:- Qanoun el Tarab (EUCD1697)

Track listing:-

1. El Helwa Dayer Shbbak-ha (Her window is surrounded by a fruit tree) 4.55
2. Layali El Sayedah (Nights in El Sayedeh) 4.33
3. Habibi We Enaya (My beloved, The apple of my eye) 5.10
4. El Ahram Fil Fagr (The pyramids at dawn) 5.38
5. We Maly Bass (How he spoils me) 5.27
6. Alwan El Neel (Colours of the Nile) 4.45
7. Zay El Assal (As sweet as honey) 5.57
8. Maliket Afrequia (The Queen of Africa) 6.18
9. Medley: Samra Ya Samra / Ennaby / Gamil Wasmar (My dark skinned girl / Beautiful face of my beloved / Dark and beautiful) 7.18
10. Nassam Aleina El Hwaw (the gentle breeze brushed against us) 4.40
11. Mon Amour (My love) 3.52

Review:
Hands up – when this first came out I had fun and games trying to get hold of it courtesy of the Royal Mail and it somewhat dampened my desire to listen to it. However it is worth getting if you would like to try out dancing to qanun ( one of my favourites)

MOKHTAR AL SAID/JALILAH - Amar 14 - Jalilah's Raks Sharki 2 (PIR45-2)

Track listing:-

Amar 14 ( Full Moon - an Egyptian expression for a beautiful woman) 10.28
Amar Andalas 3.54
Amar 14 part 2 3.33
Enta Omri 5.27
Nagua's Tabla 3.01
Amar 14 final 3.32
Eshta ya Amar 9.14
Rakiya's Tabla 1.15
Eshta ya Amar final 1.24
Ya Amarti 6.55
Souhair's Tabla 2.28
Ya Amarti final 3.09
Jalilha's Balady 4.27

Review:
This is one of my favourite albums – it has the first drum solo I have danced to in it for a performance ( Naguas’s tabla) and the rest all live up to it.

HOSSAM RAMZY - Best of Abdul Halim Hafiz (EUCD1195)

Track listing:-

Bahlam Beek 6.43
Oqbalal Yom Miladak 13.08
Olulu 7.53
Ganalhawa 8.55
Khusara Khusara 6.47
Asmar Yasmarani 11.12

Review:
Yes the tracks are long – but Bahlam Beek is one of my all time favourites! I’m glad I bought the album for this one track!

HOSSAM RAMZY - Faddah (Silver) (EUCD1614)

Track Listing:-

Faddah (Silver) 8.14
Khatwet El Ghazaalah (The Graceful Step of a Doe) 8.03
Tublet Hossam Hattra-Assna (Hossam's Tabla Will Make Us Dance) 5.52
Sowar El Habibah (Pictures of My Beloved) 7.31
Mahasin Essodaf (The Most Pleasant Coincidences) 5.34
Wesh El Fagr (The Crack of Dawn) 3.16
Sabla Tolo I 2.01
Sabla Tolo II 2.41

Review:
Beautiful music. The short length of the drum solos makes them especially useful for beginners and Faddah adds the challenge for the more experienced dancer

HOSSAM RAMZY - Source of Fire (EUCD1305)

An album of emotional compositions delving into the un-tapped, heartfelt melodies that have been burning inside Egypt’s most virtuoso soloists, the Hossam Ramzy Egyptian Ensemble. While Source of Fire follows Hossam’s high standard in dance pieces it washes onto the shores of ethnic and world music with a hypnotic and exotic flavour. With the thought of a “soulful creation” in mind, Hossam used his extensive experience to introduce the finest of Middle Eastern music to the rest of the world.

Track listing:-

Sehr Oyounik (The Magic in Your Eyes). 5:00
Manbaa Innar (Source of Fire). 7:44
Hobbik Feyya Haram (Your Love for Me is Forbidden) 8:32
Men El Bourkan (Out of the Volcano) 5:06
Hayah Baad Hayyah (Life After Life) 8:11
Sahara Groove 5:30
Domoua El Farha (Tears of Joy) 8:06
El Gabbar (The Supreme One) 6:48

Review:
A wonderful album full of haunting melodies and inspiration. I have used this one so much in class that it’s embarrassing!

GEORGE ABDO- The Joy of Belly Dancing Ref: MCD61764 (see below for review)

Track Listing:-

Hizzi Ya Nawaim- Shake and dance smoothly 4.23
Raks Abdo- Abdo's Dance 5.00
Noora Ya Noora - Noora's Dance 5.20
Raks Leyla- Leyla's Dance 3.30
A Nada - Dance, Oh Nada! 5.00
Raks Averof - Dance of the Averof 3.29
El Badree - Dance and Rejoice 4.00
Ya Wail - Don't Play with Fire 6.00
Dance:Flames of Araby 3.10
Ya Karim Allaly - Under the Grapevine 3.45
Do Oul Mazahir - A Taste of Wine 3.20
Arabic Fantasy - Dance 2.25
Ya Gameel - Arabic Love Ballad 6.00
Raks Mustapha - Mustapha's Dance 11.44

GEORGE ABDO- The Magic of Bellydancing Ref: MCD 61803 (see below for review)

Track Listing:-

Ya Gameel - Arabic Love Ballad 6.12
Ruh Tum Bi Salama - Go in Peace 4.57
Ta Mavra Matia Sou - Your Black Eyes 5.06
Raks Araby - Arabic Dance 2.55
Hadouni, Hadouni 3.48
Allah, Ya Lubnan - God, My Beautiful Lebanon 4.19
Raks Averof - Dance at the Averof 3.29
Raks Mustapha - Mustapha's Dance: complete belly dance routine 11.42
Min Feegis - Don't leave me 4.23
Raks El-Malek - Dance for the King 5.19
Sahirrnee - Bewitched 6.17
Noora Ya Noora - Noora's Dance 5.20
O Paliatzis - The Junk Man 4.29
Dio Cardias - Two Hearts 2.42
Imm Al-Manadili - The Charm of your Scarf 4.08

Review for all George Abdo CDs

Of all George Abdos albums in one go! I’m not saying go out and buy them all – but they are a great way of easing yourself gently into liking classical Egyptian music if you a beginner or someone who finds it too daunting and doesn’t know where to start. The advantages of his style is that the musical structure is fairly easy to cope with and analyse and the short length of some of these means they are perfect for first time performers or even for finding tracks that you need for short performances. I can’t recommend any over the others – but I’ve used the Art most of all.