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| Listen to this episode at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/top2018 |
The latest episode of the popular radio show Arabology, which airs from KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University) featured a countdown of the Top 20 indie/alternative Arabic Songs of 2018. The program is hosted by Dr. Ramzi Salti, Lecturer at Stanford + KZSU radio host.
You can listen to the show below or at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/top2018
Here is a list of the Top 20 Songs starting with Number 1. Each song is followed by info about each artist/song. Please note that this list is followed by another list which showcases those amazing instrumentals that served to introduce some of the tracks during the show.
NUMBER 1
Massar Egbari| مسار اجباري -
Nehayat El Hakawi نهايات الحكاوي
El Album (2018)
Massar Egbari was founded in 2005 by 4 musicians: Ayman
Massoud (Keyboards), Hani El Dakkak (Guitar & Lead Vocal), Ahmed Hafez
(Bass guitar(, and Tamer Attallah (Drums). Mahmoud Siam (Guitars) joined the band in 2008 .
نموذج من الكلمات
وساعات
نهايات الحكاوي بتسيب معاها سؤال
وساعات نهايات الحكاوي بتسيب لنا
أحلام
ويا
قلب عاشق للحياة كان رد مرة وقال
كام
باب أمل مقفول بيتوارب مع الأيام
وانا
لسه فاكر كل شئ كأنه كان اليوم
شفتك
نسيت أنا كل شئ قبل النهارده بيوم
قلبي
اللي كان مقفول علي الجرح القديم
NUMBER 2
Bisher Abu Taleb
Galat Lah
الزنبقات
السود
Bisher is a Jordanian musician who, in
2001, joined one of the most established musical groups in the
Arab world. [Rum- Tareq Al Nasser] as a guitarist/vocalist and went on to perform in in over 40 concerts in more than 15 countries. In 2012 Bisher started the first Online Music School out of the Arab
World [izif.com] which provided educational content about music in both
Arabic and English. In 2017 Bisher started his Solo Act as a Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist, eventually releasing his first album in
2018.
نموذج من الكلمات
قالت له : لا تخبي ... علمني ويش اللي بيك
تراني أحس و اتألم ... وانت عني بعيد
قال لها : يا ظي عيني ... تركت فيكي ، كل شي
و الجفا ... بينك و بيني ... مش بيدي ... غصب عني
قالت له: لولا حبي ... ما انسكب دمعي يسيل
أصابر وبروحي أفديك والجرح في قلبي يزيد
قال لها : بس امهليني .. الدمع في عينك عزيز
هو قلبك اللي يسامح ... و اللي ما ينسى ذكرى الحبيب
قال لها : بس ارحميني .. الدمع في عيونك عزيز
هو قلبك. اللي يسامح ... و اللي ما ينسى ذكرى الحبيب
أريدك ... وانا لك راجع ... لي فيكي دم و طين
أعودُ و روحي على كفي ... أمسح دموعك بيدي
NUMBER 3
Juliana Yazbeck
Alihat
Sungod
Juliana Yazbeck was born in New Jersey to Lebanese
parents who had fled the Civil War. At the age of five, she moved to Lebanon and
was raised there until, at 22, she moved to London. Juliana’s mixed background
has influenced her musical style and political lyrics. Combining poetry and
music, Western and Middle Eastern styles, and tribal beats with smooth
harmonies, her songs tell stories focused on gender, war, displacement and
love. Juliana is also a writer and music entrepreneur.
نموذج من الكلمات:
في آلهات شرعية
في آلهات مخالفين
في آلهات بيناتنا
مخوفين رجال الدين
في آلهات بالسماء
في آلهات عالأرض
بس الشيطان أخد عخاطرو
وشن عليهن حرب
نظرنا إلى الأعلى
رأينا آلهات غريبة
عبدنا أصنام وجوائز
وأشخاص ألوانها عجيبة
الهنا نساء الغرب
فناناتن وكاتباتن
وبحثنا عن معنى الحياة
بحضاراتن وكتاباتن
وإذ نسينا آلهاتنا
فناناتنا وكاتباتنا
امهاتنا، خياتنا،
ونكرنا أصل حياتنا
Yusor Hamed Ft Synaptik
Sholi Jarali
Single
Yusor Hamed is a Palestinian independent singer/songwriter and music producer,
located in Ramallah. She has experimented in pop, house and electro music. She studied at the International
Academy Of Art Palestine and Birzeit
University. She is joined by Synaptik [Laith Al Huseini] a Jordan-based independent rapper, artist and co-founder of ArtsUpperCase collective.
NUMBER 5
Narcy (ft Mashrou Leila)
Time
SpaceTime
This track was written by Yassin Alsalman and Hamed Sinno in 2018. Yassin Alsalman, better known by his stage name Narcy, is an
Iraqi-Canadian journalist and hip-hop MC. He currently resides in Montreal,
Quebec. Alsalman's parents are originally from Basra, Iraq but emigrated to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the 1970s. Yassin was born in Dubai in 1982. In 1987, at the age of five, he and his family moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Yassin spent much of his youth moving back and forth between Canada and the UAE, spending his high school years receiving an education in Dubai.
Narcy’s latest album, SpaceTime, hits listeners with a galactic explosion of
fierce beats and mind warping lyrics, all infused with a universe of musical
influences – from the rich plains of Iraqi chobi to the vocal bounties of
Colombia.
His new album, a 45 minute journey through the bass thumping
emotions of a diasporic traveler, delivers a sound bigger than the biggest
planets. He is joined by the groundbreaking Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila who have been featured (and interviewed) on several old episodes of Arabology.
NUMBER 6
Damar
Gloob ou dabadeb
قلوب
ودباديب
Damar is the baby of Osama Abbas, a Hip Hop Music Producer in Jordan who has worked with the likes of El
Far3i, Synaptik. Damar's first album was titled Damarshmallow and contained 27 tracks
produced between 2010 and 2015--based on Arabic music sampled from old Arabic
vinyls, old Arabic films and plays.
نموذج من الكلمات
انا خف عقلي لما قلتلي
انه الأزرق ما بلبقلي
شو رأيك يا عمي يعني
تيجي محلي؟ تيجي محلي؟
احسنلك حلي عن عرضي
وغيري الفستان ابو الزهري
هسه بطرطق وما بخلي
ابعد عني ... ابعد عني
كل شوي بترن ... تررن تررن
ولا ما بتسوي .. ولا شلن ولا شلن
من يوم وطالع اسمي نسيه
احا اخوكي يصير نسيبي
ومن عشر شهور كلشي خرب صار صعب ارضيكي (بعدين!)
ولا اشي مزبوط يلعن يوم ما صرتي خطيبتي (يلعن)
واذا بجيب ورود بتقولي انك بطلتي اتطيقي (احسن)
ولا اقلك شو ... نفسي اموت ولا تكوني خطيتي
انا خف عقلي لما قلتلي
انه الأزرق ما بلبقلي
شو رأيك يا عمي يعني
تيجي محلي؟ تيجي محلي؟
احسنلك حلي عن عرضي
وغيري الفستان ابو الزهري
هسه بطرطق وما بخلي
ابعد عني ... ابعد عني
كل شوي بترن ... تررن تررن
ولا ما بتسوي .. ولا شلن ولا شلن
من يوم وطالع اسمي نسيه
احا اخوكي يصير نسيبي
ومن عشر شهور كلشي خرب صار صعب ارضيكي (بعدين!)
ولا اشي مزبوط يلعن يوم ما صرتي خطيبتي (يلعن)
واذا بجيب ورود بتقولي انك بطلتي اتطيقي (احسن)
ولا اقلك شو ... نفسي اموت ولا تكوني خطيتي
NUMBER 7
Mohammed El Naas محمد
النعاس
مرو
بسلام
نموذج من الكلمات
قلوب سكبت للأذى الغفران
عقول نست فرسمت بألاقلام
لوحات حياه على جدران
قلوب سكبت للأذى الغفران
عقول نست فرسمت بألاقلام
لوحات حياه على جدران
مرو
بسلام مرو بسلام مرو بسلام
أغصان
لم تروى من انسان
غفران لم يفهم حتى هذا الزمان
اقلام جفت فسارت الى البهتان
أسوار سقطت فأتضحت تفاسير تلك الاحلام
غفران لم يفهم حتى هذا الزمان
اقلام جفت فسارت الى البهتان
أسوار سقطت فأتضحت تفاسير تلك الاحلام
مرو
بسلام مرو بسلام مرو بسلام مرو بسلام
قطرات
ندى على أغصان
قلوب سكب للأذى الغفران
عقول نست فرسمت بألاقلام
لوحات حياه على جدران
قلوب سكب للأذى الغفران
عقول نست فرسمت بألاقلام
لوحات حياه على جدران
NUMBER 8
Faia Younan
Ya Laytahou Yaalam (Piano Version)
A Sea Between Us بيناتنا في بحر
Born in Syria on June 1992, Faia grew up in the iconic musical city of Aleppo
in a family that cherishes culture and arts. At age of eleven, she moved
with her family to Sweden. Her voice has longe charmed audiences at cultural events in
Stockholm.
About this track: Lyrics by: Ali Ben Aljahm Composed by: Faia Younan Arranged by: Rayan Al Habre Music Producer: Houssam Abdul Khalek
This version released in 2018; older version in 2017
نموذج من الكلمات: أبلغ عزيزًا فى
ثنايا القلب منزله أنى وإن كنت لا ألقاه ألقاه وإن طرفى موصول برؤيته وإن تباعد عن
سكناي سكناه يا ليته يعلم أنى لست أذكره وكيف أذكره إذ لست أنساه يا من توهم أنى
لست أذكره والله يعلم أنى لست أنساه إن غاب عنى فالروح مسكنه من يسكن الروح كيف
القلب ينساه
Lyrics in English: Tell a beloved one who has made his home
in the corners of my heart That even if I don't meet him, I do meet him And
that the corner of my eye is linked to the sight of him, even when he is far
away I wish he knew I wish he knew that I don't remember him For how can I remember
him when I have never forgotten him To he who thought that i don't remember him
And God knows that I never forgot him If he disappears then in my soul is where
he stays How can the heart forget the one who lives in the soul
Mike Massy
Baddi Dii
Bravo
After playing the rôle of "Jesus" in France, Mike Massy returns to the music scene with a 9th studio album, "Bravo", written, composed and produced by Massy himself. This album consists of 9 tracks in Lebanese and literary Arabic, and it was written and recorded between Brussels and Beirut. "Bravo" refers to one of the songs on the album that features Mike Massy's vocal signature, accompanied by a pop production, combined with a classical‐acoustic orchestration. With a subtle blend of tradition and modernity, this album is the new positioning of Mike Massy, who manages the transition from traditional to modern with astonishing ease.
This track was released in Feb 2018 along with superb music video that was directed
by Tanya Nasr.
نموذج من الكلمات: بدّي
أطلع عالمرّيخ بدّي غيّر بالتاريخ ... وبدّي ضيع... بدّي إمشي عالتروتوار، إتفركش بولاد
زغار... وبدّي
ضيع... من كل
مفرق، من كل دار، من الدكّانة العند الجار بدّي ضيع بدّي ضيع... من المدينة الكلّا حجار، من الطرقات،
من المطار، بدّي ضيع بدّي ضيع بدّي ضيع... بدّي سافر، بدّي ضيع واللي بدّو يصير، يصير بدّي
ضيع...
NUMBER 10
Tamer Nafar
Salam Ya Sahbi
Nafar was born to Fawzi Nafar and Nadia Awadi in Lod, Israel, and is the
leader of the world's first Palestinian hip-hop group DAM. He
became the face and primary voice of Palestinian hip-hop and is internationally
recognized through worldwide tours. He
identifies as a Palestinian citizen of Israel. Tamer discovered hip-hop through Tupac Amaru Shakur's beats.
نموذج من الكلمات: صاحبي, حبيبي, عالأرض بنازع 11 خزء بجسمو وعندي بس 10 اصابع...تغمضش عينيك, أرمش اذا سامع...تحملنيش هاي المهمة, مش راجع اقول لامك أنك مش راجع...سمعتها ب فلم, الأبن بدفن الأم مش الأم تدفن الأبن, هيك الحياة بتم
NUMBER 11
Jawhar
Menich Hzin
Winrah Marah
Jawhar (Basti) has created his own signature style of worldfolk
music that one could probably describe as midway between arab chaâbi and Nick
Drake’s dreamy folk lullabies. Inspired by « the withering Arab spring» Winrah Marah is simultaneously more incisive
and more colorful than his previous album. The ten songs on the album are
powered by a band which has gained in complicity and coherence.
Jawhar was born to a mother professor of Arabic literature and a father devoted to theater and culture in the southern suburbs of Tunis. At the age
of 20 he left for France to study English literature and theater and settled first in Brussels and then in the countryside. However, at the birth of his first child,
Jawhar felt the need to reconnect with his homeland.
"Qibla Wa Qobla " (The Kiss and the
prayer-orientation), Jawhar’s second album, was released in 2014). The press
saw it as a "shimmering mosaic where Sufi and Pop learned to speak the
same language: that of the universal and timeless music" (Musiczine).
Winrah Marah was released in 2018 along with superb music videos.
NUMBER 12
Qafiya
Eskoni ya jerah - اسكني يا جراح
Qafiya (English: Rhyme) is an Arabic Rock band from Cairo,
Egypt, formed in 2018 by vocalist/composer/lyricist) Nour Khan. They released their first single "Eskoni Ya Jerah"
on November 20th and are currently working on their first EP. Nour Khan is an independent vocalist
from Egypt who has had a passion for singing since she was 8 years old.
الكلمات من قصيدة "الصباح الجديد" لأبو القاسم الشابي
غناء و ألحان: نورخان
ترجمة الكلمات: محمد أسامة
اسكني يا جراح و اسكتي يا شجون
Lay to rest my wounds, and be gone my sorrow
مات عهدُ النُواحِ و زمانُ الجنون
The madness and the wailing times has passed.
فعلام الشكاة من ظلام يحول
So why complain from a Darkness,
ثم يأتي الصباح و تمر الفصول
That will be gone by morning, as seasons flow.
NUMBER 13
Dina El Wedidi
Alive عايشة
Slumber منام
Cairo artist Dina El Wedidi's newest album 'Slumber' is a
dark, emotive electronic album made entirely from the sounds of Egypt's trains. The final track, “Alive,” was arranged by Cairo electronic
artist Hussein Sherbini, who also supports Dina on vocals in the track.
Musically, it is the warmest track on the album, zooming in on Dina’s looping
lyrics that hop rhythmically from rhyme to rhyme, casting a hypnotic,
disassociating spell, before the track drifts off, the train tracks lulling you
gently out of the nap, and to your destination.
NUMBER 14
Layla Rina
Rooq روق
(Chill)
Layla Rina is a singer songwriter From Nazareth who released this track in May 2018. Lyrics by Layla Rina; Music by Muhammad Abu Ahmad & Layla
Rina. Produced by Muhammad Abu Ahmad.
نموذج من الكلمات: شوف
لوين بتروح لوين بتروح لوين بتروح لما تكون لحالك يمكن بس تغيب الشمس ورا الجبال
راح تتذكر تتذكر كيف كان الجو براسك يدور قلبك مسحور كلشي مفهوم كان شي مرة بس إسا
انت قاعد بآخر هالليل عقلك مش هون وراسك ملان فقت بالشقلوب اليوم صحيت بالأول ما
في نوم والسبب مكتوم التنين مجروح التلاتا مجروح الاربعا مجروح وباقي الجمعة مجروح
NUMBER 15
Yousef Kekhia يوسف كيخيا
Hal Ard Lamin
Monologue (2019)
Yousef Kekhia is a Singer-Songwriter from Aleppo, now based
in Berlin. He left Syria due to the civil war in 2013, graduated from university in
Istanbul and finally settled in Germany in 2016.
By combining contemporary Folk and Electronic music with
Arabic lyrics, he developed a singular style of sharing his intimate stories,
making them direct and moving.
In October 2018, Yousef Kekhia released his first
self-written solo single “Hal Ard Lamin?”, accompanied by a crowdfunding
campaign in order to finance the production of his debut album “Monologue”,
which is set to be released in 2019.
He says: “I started writing songs mainly on occasions where I was
nearly paralysed, whether it being physically or mentally but it was
songwriting that helped me to get through those situations.”
The music video for this track is performed
& composed by Yousef Kekhia and directed by Victor Ramón Stoljarow
نموذج من الكلمات:
هالأرض لمين؟ إسأل حالك عن فكرة الحدود
كسور سجنك مين حط
الحروف؟
ارفع
راسك مانك لاجئ بحور... روح وين بدك
الأرض مالها حدود
هروب
من الموت سياسة تهجير مع ورقة بسبور بتوقعك بالبير
معقول كل هالحدود كل هاد تقسيم مشان يشعلو حروب و نعيش
ميتين
فيك
تحط بسبور فيك تحط حدود فيك تحط جنود مارح تمنعني
فيك تعلي السور فيك تخبي وجوه
فيك تغسل عقول مارح توقفني
هالأرض لمين؟ (هالأرض ألي) هالأرض لمين؟ (هالأرض
ألك) هالأرض لمين؟ (هالأرض ألها) هالأرض لمين؟ (هالأرض النا) الأرض الي
English translation of lyrics: Who Owns This Earth? Ask yourself about the concept of
borders Break your prison Who wrote those orders? Raise your head You're not a
refugee of the oceans Roam wherever you want to Because this earth has no
borders Who owns this earth? Who owns this earth? Who owns this earth? Who owns
this earth? Escaping from death Migration politics And this paper called
“passport” Will imprison you Are they real, all these borders? All these
divisions To stoke the fires of war And make us live like we’re (already) dead Who
owns this earth? Who owns this earth? Who owns this earth? Who owns this earth?
You can impose passports You can build borders You can send soldiers You won’t
deter me You can make the fence higher You can hide faces You can brainwash the
masses You won’t stop me Who owns this earth? (This earth is mine) Who owns
this earth? (This earth is yours) Who owns this earth? (This earth is hers) Who
owns this earth? (This earth is ours) The earth is mine.
NUMBER 16
Cz101
Night Shift
Garbanzo Beans
"Night Shift" is a track from the album "Garbanzo Beans" that explores several genres that he experienced in the 60s, and 70s. Vocals by ZIAD SIDAWI and LANA MOUSSA. Composed, arranged and performed by Charif Megarbane &
Ziad Sidawi.
ZIAD SIDAWI always
loved composing music but his piano teacher wanted him to play Bach and Chopin,
so he would start to play the music piece then take it somewhere else. Ultimately
by age 12 he stopped piano lessons because there was no one to guide him
towards composition. Since he got no family support to become a composer, hedid
the 2nd best thing which was to write programming code to create software
applications. Fast forward several decades later and suddenly he said enough is
enough and in 2012 he started taking online courses and found a partner in Charif
Megarbane, who is a multi-instrumental player and composer, and they
formed Cz101. "Night Shift" was written from 14 AM which may explain the song title.
Lana Moussa is a Lebanese artist. Her interest in music started
early and her talent matured by learning to sing different genres in different
languages, from Tarab (classical Arabic music) to opera.
Lana works in the humanitarian and media broadcasting
fields. She is now slowly taking baby steps into making it a career after
having participated in several concerts.
She is interested in maintaining her Arabic music heritage as well as
songwriting and composing expressive musical pieces that are out of the norm.
NUMBER 17
Khansa x Zahzah
Khayef
This track was originally composed by Mohammad AbdulWahab (1929) and written
by Ahmad Abdul Majeed (1929). Moe Khansa is a Beirut based performing artist who merges multiple disciplines
into one, both on stage and in video. A singer, dancer, aerialist, songwriter,
producer, and visual composer whose style draws on a wide range of influences,
genres, and topics. He is into synthesis and visionary sounds and is immersed in an ongoing
journey of experimentation and realization. Moe Khansa seeks to redefine the way we see "belly dancing" in the hope of eliminating these stereotypes and embracing belly-dancing as a
beautiful part of our culture (this link)
Lyrics in English: It scares me to speak of how I feel about
you, knowing you might reject and ignore me. But should I keep my love from
you, would my eyes speak the truth of my whims. I had seen a vision of you in
my sleep, before I ever loved you. He promised he would stay then left me with
my thoughts of you. Should I confront him, would he hint at my love for you?
But should I keep my love from you, would my eyes speak the truth of my whims.
NUMBER 18
Albaitil Ashwai
Sindibad
Nuun
Mostakell Label
Albaitil Ashwai [Random House] is a Jordanian experimental band based in Amman. The band members all reflect their own musical background in the music of the project by a variety of musical styles, like indie rock, reggae, punk rock mixed with sufi music.
The name of the band is inspired by the belief that all universal laws were created after a completely random interaction between its own elements (in both the physical and the spiritual realms of the universe), so the only way for humanity to find Utopia is by living a life based on complete natural freedom, free will, and randomness.
I met band member Qais Raja (Guitar & Vocals) at Corners Pub in Amman, Jordan in August 2018.
NUMBER 19
Mada
Youm Ma Shoftek
Bokra Ahla
Khalid Nwairan and Raed Massad have been working on their official album for over a year. 'MADA' electronic band they created and their new album called "Bokra Ahla" aims to develop
the platform of Arabic commercial music by providing new ideas of
production for each for each song.. Khaled says that "Bokra Ahla means we are concerned about what the Arab world is passing
through these days and we think tomorrow must be better no doubt. We want to integrate various artistic international
production techniques to reflect our Jordanian and Arabic culture in
understandable ways."
NUMBER 20
Faycal Azizi
Meftah Leqloub
Fayçal Azizi (Born in 1986 in Tétouan) is a Moroccan actor, singer and writer. He first rose to fame through his song "Werda ala Werda " from the film L'orange amère " and has had huge success with his group K'lma as well as by releasing his version of "Haka Mama" in 2015.
Fayçal has just received his degree from The Record Factory in Seoul, South Korea.
His career as an actor first started in theater after
attending the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts and Cultural Animation in
Rabat. He then formed the music group K'lma in 2004. His feature film debut
came in 2010 when he starred in Majid of Nassim Abassi. He has also just released a gorgeous duet with Sakina Lafdaili aka Klma Band called "Tkellem," written by Fayçal
Azizi.
نموذج من الكلمات:
فين
مفتاح لقلوب
فينك
مخبي أنا محتاجك فين تكون
قلبي
سد بوابو خلاص
من يوم
بنار الخاين تقاس
عليك
نجول
طرقان وزمان
ونانسول
You can listen to the show where the above artists are showcased below or at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/top2018
