A Music Legend You Must Know Ellie Shweiri ايلي شويري

Ellie Shweiri is the son of Beirut, he was born and came to sing in the era of Oum Kalthoum and Mohammed Abdel Wahab and other legends, he is one of the shaper of Lebanese song early on. He is a beloved hit maker of Lebanese song with amazing Arabic melodies that he crafted.

Ellie has also sang many songs for Lebanon and its beauty. As his mom was dressing him up to go to school, they would listen to the old songs on the record player. His home was surrounded by olive trees and natural scenes. His career took off in Kuwait when he was visiting and ended up in the radio playing his songs with the help of other Egyptian and Kuwaiti composers.

In 1963 he would be on a music festival with his band at home. Then he met the beloved Lebanses composer Romeo Lahoud who promised to give him a role in one of his plays, then he would meet the house of Rahabni who will help him get his name out there as he honed his talent. He would act and sing in 25 plays with the production of the Rahbani brothers.

Years later he would go it alone and record his own work and express his frustrations with the 1975 civil war in Lebanon. He would meet Sabah and he would collaborate with her. Then the Syrian government calls on him for concerts. He had so many of them and his fame and lifestyle improves.

He has a sweet voice made for flirty romantic songs, he would also give songs to Magda El Roumi, Sabah and Samira Tawfik seek him. His best pal is composer Melhim Barakat as they share a lot in common. He is a legend among his peers, and his true talent lives one shaping young minds. He has more than 1500 works, addressed issues of romance, humanity, and patriotism.

Ellie comments on issues of the day like he did in January 2012 when he blamed Gulf money for ruining Arabic music heritage. He strikes me as an Arab nationalist, he is a dreamer who belived Arabs Muslims and Christians can create a wonderful world together.

ايلي شويري _ رقصت الحلوين


ايلي شويري - يا ناس حبوا الناس


ايلي شويري : وصلوا الحلوين

Diab Mashour And His Prison Inmate Song

The sixties and seventies were very kind to one folksy Syrian singer, Diab Mashour who has appeared on a Syrian play/TV show playing the role of the prison's singer. He is connected to Iraq by the river where they share common cultural antidotes. He is an image known for his nice and sweet voice recounting stories from the village. Diab plays the flute, the oud, and the violin 

He visited Damascus and played his song to then comedian Duraid Laham who loved his song so very much and asked him to appear on his show. He recorded his song sin Beirut and Jordan and remain classics to this day. Simple songs, the kinds your grandmother would sing you as she puts you to sleep

Diab traveled to the States to do concerts for Arabs there, he has even made it all the way to the Philippians. He composes his songs and performs them, and refuses to represent his older songs to fit with today's tastes.

ذياب مشهور ـ يابو ردين يا بوردانه

List Of Youngest Arab Singers By Names

1. Natasha, Lebanese a combination between Nancy Ajram and Warda! She is young, talented and under 20 years of age. Her father is a musician by training and her brother runs the business side. I love her many characters she is able to produce. She can be pop and fun, but when needed she can be classy and deliver heavy doze of mellow pure Arabic hits with the oldie flavor. She has two albums, but I think Rotana is not helping her career. Video
2. Carmin Solimna, Egyptian who finished high school this year, she shot to fame by winning the Arab Idol contest. She comes from a loving family and has yet to release one single original song. But the tracks she has left behind cover the classics. She has an astonishing voice that can move water and breaks glasses. She can convey complex emotions with few vocal notes. With Carmin the sky is the limit. She is a free agent, but she is often contracted for nights of music in big galas and cultural events. Video  
3. George Zogheb, the youngest on the list. He is a preteen, but his music is not for the young ones, but rather who those who have lived in the 60s and 70s. He also loves Lebanon and his first original song is made for the motherland. He appears in concerts around Lebanon and slowly but surely he is making a big splash every where he goes. On the list, he knows the most about making music as he is well trained on the Oud.      

جورج زغيب - قارئة الفنجان

Sam Zayan Can Do Better Than Lebanese Pop

The fresh face of Lebanese pop has a name Sam Zayan, the Beirut native is seeking commercial success with a new pop song. The young singer seems like a fun person who enjoys his life and wants to make a go at pop fame.

It's your typical boy likes music story, Sam began singing oriental and traditional songs from his tender years as a student who carried his Oud instrument around and was always encouraged by his peers to sing in class, especially in the absence of teachers. Then from the Oud his voice and his warm personality set his sight at a music career.

With time, his singing talent developed and progressed to higher grounds with several singing performances which helped him gain knowledge and build confidence. His skills later paved the way to approaching singing as a profession and soon opened up new opportunities.

Finally the journey of a talented singer reached its first intended destination as the sound of sweet music heralded the birth of a new artist. This time he is collaborating with Salim Assaf, one of Lebanon's hottest composers who is always scouting for new talents to experiment new things with.

 Sam Zayan - Sho Na2isni- سام زيان - شو ناقصني

Iraqi Iconic Singer Qahtan Al Attar Rejects Fame And Quits

He was loved form the first song, and his fame kept on growing for four decades. He decided to quit the music business 20 years ago, he shuns the spotlight and rejects going back to his earlier career. He turned it all down, the fame, the popularity and the money to live alone in seclusion.

Qahtan Al Attar immigrated to Denmark and made a home there where he has a beard and took a picture in a bakery shop near an oven. some say the store is his, others says it belongs to a friend of his. Qahtan does have a oud and he often performs in private settings.

Qahtan rose to fame in the 70s and according to friends he never liked recording songs, he was lazy and he hated the studio. Even though he is very talented and has a voice that nobody comes even close to, as one fan puts it. He did have a lot of good songs in the 80s that stand tall among the Iraqi classics. Some says he is supper sensitive  he is anti-social, others say he has complexes.

Some stories about him are legendary  he hates street language and insults, if he happens to hear on as he passes on the streets, he loses sleep over it and condemns such harsh language when the Arabic language is so beautiful. He had to walk away form his family and his friends because he appreciated privacy and longed to being along--not an easy thing to get when you live with Arabs.

Qahtan has stopped singing since the early 90s and immigrated to a number of countries until he found himself in the Denmark, a country where he can find all seclusion his soul demands. His story remains one of the mysteries many Iraqis wrestle with and there are those who boast about taking a recent picture of this legend on the streets of his new home.

قحطان العطار- سهلة عندك


قحطان العطار -يانوره

Hedi Jouini, The Protector of The Tunisian Song

Hedi Jouini has been rightfully dubbed the Frank Sinatra of the Arab World. From the theme song of a popular Tunisian soap opera to pop singers’ cover songs, including international superstar Ishtar, Jouini’s music still resonates twenty five years after his death.

Behind the usual story of siblings fighting over their inheritance lies the powerful dynamic of men’s and women’s roles in 1930’s Tunis and the sad but often funny story of Papa Hedi’s, a man and his legacy. Performing live accompanied buy his "oud" lute and an orchestra of people who are set on making beautiful music. The star Hedi Jouini seems to enjoy his live performances and inviting his audience to participate

Hedia became a star away from the center of the Arab star making system in Cairo. Like countless of his peers he started his career by reading and reciting the holy Koran. He moved into memorizing songs of singers that came before him. Then he studied under an Italian music professor, then in a French institution. He would go on to dominate the 50s, 60s, and 70s in the Tunisian song. Most of his songs have been inspiring young and old Tunisian artists to recreate them.

His early songs were light and had a lot of humor. Then he moved into romance and duets. And from there to the social issues. He was a leader in conserving the Tunisian song and had joined a group to promote and protect the local song--he would compose songs for a number of vocalists in that group "Jama'at Ta'aht Al Sor"
Hedi Jouini - 7obi Yitbadel Yitjadid


hedi jouini - lamouni live

Ziyad Sahhab When The Clouds Are Your Last Name

If your search for some classical yet fresh Arabic music is still on, your search is over. Here's Ziyad Sahhab who makes the lute dance. His voice reaches down to your soul and speaks to your brain. He describes himself as a poor artist. Not many artist can brag about performing in the Cairo House of Opera at the tender age of 13. He counts among his musical influences Mohamad Abdel Wahab, Sayed Darweesh, Tom Waits and the always relevant Roger Waters.

Ziyad took on the lute in 1989 and joined the Beirut Arabic music orchestra in 1993 where his serves were greatly appreciated. He has two albums, the first came in 2004 "Ouyoun El Bakar" (Forward Music)  includes songs of the Egyptian poet Salah Jahine.Ziyad's second album is called " keep on singing". In the second album Ziyad brings to life the poems of egyptian writers Ahmad Fouad Najem and Mohamad Kheir as well as his own texts in a style that is unique and particular.

Sahhab is his last name, in Arabic it means clouds! And that's where his music will put you, cloud 9 to be specific. Ziyad is studying musicology at the Antonine University.Ziyad Sahhab and his band are performing live at"Walimat Wardeh" in Hamra Makdessi Street every Friday. I like his depth and his intelligence. He is an artist who can recognize good art when he sees it. He chooses poems that fit his style yet challenge him to make good music.

Ziyad is an avid smoker whose facial hair is the first thing you notice about him. He lives and works in beruit where he collaborates on whatever musical projects comes his way.

زياد سحاب - يابو قلب وحيد

Good Music From Jerusalem By Turab Basel Zayed

Basel Zayed is a Palestinian native to the holly land of Jerusalem, a land known for many things, music is not one of them. The young musician and vocalist found out our his true gift at his young age of 12. He took part of  number of local events. But then two years later he was studying the piano.

Then he began his career as a composer and singer in a number of local bands, among them "Sanabel” at Bir Zeit University, and the First Ramallah Group of Music. He, with the help of many other musicians, formed “Yalalan” for Arabic music and finally “Turab” musical group. “Turab” (“soil” in Arabic) is a group of young musicians from a variety of different backgrounds who share a passion for contemporary alternative music. The group plays Zayed’s original compositions.

I was dazzled by one of the tracks  Love Me, the guy knows how to make a good song. The moment I heard his voice, I said to myself, this guy ought to be Palestinian and then I was right. It's a good song where it reminded me of on song by Katehm Al Saher "Ahbyny Bila Oqadin" I like his style on the oud, the guy have had a lot of practice.

I am glad to have discovered this video, I am all about good music and fresh lyricism.

Turab - Love Me. حبيني - تراب

Serwan Yamolky Trio - La Younsa

Serwan Yamolky is an Iraqi-Kurdish oud player and poet with more than 50 years experience. January 2012 saw the release of the Serwan Yamolky Trio's newest effort, La Younsa (in Arabic, Not Forgotten). La Younsa, recorded in Canada and performed by Yamolky and percussionists Tim Gerwing and Liam McDonald, is a hypnotic 55 minutes, highlighted by Yamolky's masterful oud technique and poetry. The album is available for purchase on iTunes. Check it out, La Younsa is an excellent piece of contemporary Arab music.