Various - Arabic Groove (Putumayo Presents)
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Free Music Notes for Arabic Groove (Putumayo Presents)
Free Music Review: EXCELLENT
Hit: 5 Stars
Different refreshing grooves, with a hint of spanish flareFree Music Review: A good blend of the familiar and the exotic
Hit: 4 Stars
I bought this to add to my international music collection largely because I know nothing about Arabic music. What, really, do most of us know about Arabic culture anyway (other than stereotypes about how violent Muslims are)? Given the current world climate, I think it appropriate for my daughters and myself to learn more about the Middle East.
I'm not sure what I was expecting from this disc, but I was initially rather disappointed the first time I listened to it. Except for being in a language I don't speak, the music is basically what I would expect to hear on any pop radio station in the U.S. The underlying rhythms are pretty generic synthesized beats, and the melodies aren't as "exotic" as I was expecting (whatever that means).
But the more I've listened to it, the more it's grown on me. The familiar beat allows me to feel comfortable while appreciating more and more that there are Eastern strains in the melodies - strains that evoke belly dancers or snake charmers, for instance. The songs, with a Western beat and Eastern words and melodies, are rather catchy and I often find myself "singing" along, even though I don't understand the lyrics. And although I wouldn't exactly call it dance music, I do find myself wanting to move and groove a bit. The music is upllifting and energetic.
I recommend this CD to everyone in order to gain a bit of perspective on Arabic culture. The familiarity of the music reminds us that we're all more alike than different, while the uniqueness of the music reflects the uniqueness of each different culture which makes the world more interesting.
Free Music Review: Ya Habibi!!
Hit: 4 Stars
A veritable Middle Eastern sonic orgy with a lot of jazzy poppy rappy western tidbits thrown in for good measure. Probably the best Putumayo CD out there, Arabic Groove is just that. It's damn groovy. And best thing, it's just as Arabic as it is groovy. Sometimes these crossover efforts get so saturated in musical westernisms and pounding bass that there's no evidence of their exotic roots anywhere within earshot. Here's where Putumayo has nailed it: right mix of bass with bellydance, visceral arabic vocals with trendy rapping, and ouds and gasbahs (traditional guitars and flutes) living happily alongside electronic bleeps. I usually don't go for Putumayo, it being a bit too soft-core for my world music tastes, but this compilation comes with a good recommendation. Interested in more of this incredibly funky Arab groove? The compilation "Indestructible Arabian Beats" by Manteca is a brilliant (yet little known) album, totally beat driven and a bit edgier than Putumayo.
Want to dig deeper still? Check out The Rough Guide to Arabesque, marvellous but a bit more hard core, with amazing arab electronica from Aisha Kandisha's Jarring Effects and the best rap that side of the Bronx from Clotaire K.
Free Music Review: generally love it
Hit: 4 Stars
I got this CD for my birthday and for the most part I love it. There are lots of reviews of the music itself so I will not go into much commentary in that regard. This CD is not representative of the many rhythm's that can be found in middle-eastern music. Most (all?) of the songs are based on a 4/4 beat - which makes this a good CD for beginning bellydancers to use to practice with.My only real complaint is that some of the songs are cut off rather abruptly - which I think detracts from the overall quality of the CD. The tracks tend to run together which makes it difficult to use this CD for dance routines without having an awkward slip into the next song. On the other hand the abrupt endings also make it difficult to record a particular song onto a tape to use for a routine. If you're just listening to the CD or playing it at a party these probably aren't going to be issues at all.
Free Music Review: It really takes you there
Hit: 4 Stars
I really like this album. There are songs on here from different countries--Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt, and Libya, and they are totally cool songs too. Completely Arabic in sound, with a great dance beat. The album is almost a non-stop dance mix, although at times it just suddenly goes from one song into the next rather than intermixing them. My favorite song is "Kidda" by Natacha Atlas. After already falling in love with this song, I learned that she was the singer in Transglobal Underground for awhile, during the height of their career (their album "Psychic Karaoke" was on my Favorite CDs of the Year list in 1998). The beat in "Kidda" doesn't sound Western at all yet it is as totally danceable as a strong Western dance beat.
A great collection!