Middle East

Rupa's amazing cosmic Bollywood / funk / disco / Balearic, 'Disco Jazz', masterpiece from 1982.

Akuphone presents Saz Û Dilan, the second solo album of Rizan Said. After King Of Keyboards, (CREP 034LP, 2016) this release brings the most exciting Kurdish-Syrian dance music to one's ears. Surrounded by young local singers, Rizan offers his own interpr

"Around ten years ago, deep into a cozy and hazy night following a concert with my sound brothers Daniel O'Sullivan and Kristoffer Rygg in London (as Æthenor), they graciously introduced me to a recording of rudra veena (a kind of noble deeper bass relati

Omar Khorshid (9-Oct-1945 – 29-May-1981) is an Egyptian musician, composer, accompanist, and actor. Born in Cairo, Omar Khorshid was a well-known guitarist who accompanied many Arabic singers, including Farid Al Atrach, Oum Koulsoum, Mohammed Abdel Wahab,

"Laylat Hob" -- Another meeting in the clouds. Mohamed Abdel Wahab wrote another big score for Om Kalsoum in 1972. In "Laylat Hob" (A Night of Love), you hear Arabic music and poetry in perfect symbiosis. The rich and lengthy instrumental intro is just a

The fourth Time Capsule release presents a transcendental work of intensely spiritual Indian classical music by celebrated vocalist and composer Bombay S Jayashri. During its brief lifespan reissue imprint Time-Capsule’s releases have proved as multinatio

Zamaan Ya Sukkar is a rich musical portrait from the time when Cairo was the vibrant cultural heart of the Middle East and the grandeur of the leading orchestras was incomparable. Unearthed Latin and jazz-tinged tracks will let your mind drift off to the

It’s no accident that the phoenix is an exalted moral, mythical, and figurative symbol in Iran. Like the phoenix, Iranian culture is in constant flux and, at times, elusive, with its existential wavering and blurred panoramas. Most of contemporary Iran’s

"Songs about the unity of Sudan, peace between Muslims and Christians and the fate of war orphans, backed by grooves equally taking influence from Arabic sounds, American funk as well as neighboring Ethiopia. Kamal Keila was among the first artist we met

Nawa Recordings present Ahwar, the debut album by Nadah El Shazly. Starting out singing Misfits covers in a local punk band, then moving on to producing her own electronic tracks and making a name for herself in Cairo's underground scene, Nadah El Shazly'

A winsome and dizzying spin on disco pop, recorded in westernized Iran during the last moments before the 1979 revolution. All but criminalized in the wake of Ayatollah Khomeini's theocratic repression, Hamlet Minassian's solo masterpiece is a testament t

"Enta Omri" -- A milestone in Arabic music history. "Enta Omri" is Om Kalsoum's most famous song, composed by Mohamed Abdel Wahab, who is still rightly regarded as a prominent musician and composer in Egypt. The creation of this song was the first long ex

"Habibi Funk is back with another album from Casablanca. Completely unreleased album which was recorded in Morocco in 1973 by three generation family band. A unique blend of Gnawa, Funk and Rock. Traditional Moroccan music meets electronic guitars and den

Hive Mind Records present a double-LP compilation of songs by Moulay Ahmed El Hassani, a master of modern Moroccan music, who updates traditional folk forms with drum machines, autotune, and incredible psychedelic guitar. Moulay Ahmed El Hassani is practi

Perhaps Syria's most successful musical export, international singer Omar Souleyman returns with his second proper studio effort and most personal album to date, Bahdeni Nami. For the album Souleyman opened his doors to collaborations with a number of ren

Omar Souleyman is a folk-pop singer from rural northeastern Syria. Like many Syrian musicians, he made his name as a singer for wedding parties in the region, with hundreds of cassettes and CDs documenting his performances distributed throughout the count

"Around ten years ago, deep into a cozy and hazy night following a concert with my sound brothers Daniel O'Sullivan and Kristoffer Rygg in London (as Æthenor), they graciously introduced me to a recording of rudra veena (a kind of noble deeper bass relati