Zeid Hamdan and Maryam Saleh are two of the most important figures in contemporary Middle Eastern alternative music.
Saleh, an Egyptian singer and composer, is often associated with the country’s underground music scene. This movement played a role in the 2011 to 2012 protests that resulted in Hosni Mubarak’s removal. However, her activities in the performing arts are much broader.
Lebanese producer Zeid Hamdan, meanwhile, has a long list of musical enterprises. The most legendary being Soap Kills, with singer Yasmine Hamdan. Their 2002 album Cheftak was a sort of Portishead meets the music of Lebanese singer Fairuz, but entirely in their own style. The album remains one of the most consistent achievements in Arabic music. See it as a Sgt Pepper's, or maybe an Abbey Road, as Soap Kills effectively broke up soon after.
The first time Hamdan and Saleh teamed up was in 2010, under the name ShiftZ (Zeid Hamdan) feat Maryam. The song, Esla7at, composed by Saleh, stood out because of its angst-laden atmosphere. The accompanying video was just as gripping, showing the singer restlessly roaming the streets of Alexandria. The mood of the song seemed like a prelude to the political turmoil that followed.
Now the duo have released their first album together, Halawella. It contains several covers of songs by Sheikh Imam, an acclaimed Egyptian political singer who died in 1995. Sheikh Iman is known for his satirical songs in favour of the poor and the working classes. He was a friend of Saleh's father, sang at her birthday parties when she was a child and now she is the main interpreter of his music.
Other songs in the album include words by various young Egyptian authors and the venerated poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, who died two years ago.
Throughout the album, Hamdan hits a harder note than he does with other collaborators. We hear colder technical sounds, in line with the sharp mood of the texts and Saleh’s frantic voice. Known for his love of vintage synthesisers and early drum machines, Hamdan applies harsher beats and sharper beeps than in other works.
The title Halawella means clown. Saleh once stated that in her early acting career, she was always supposed to play the clown. That, perhaps, explains the title. And although many of the songs originate from anger and indignation, the title also expresses the prevailing mood of the album, which is that messages are more effective when they are embedded in a certain layer of humour.
In the opening song Watan El Akk (watan means homeland, akk is something like mishmash), the text calls, half jokingly, for undeterred love for Egypt, despite the mess and the misery. It also pokes fun at people who hide a lack of sophistication and education by assuming religious and traditional values; at Gamal Mubarak (the son of former president Hosni Mubarak, who was once set to take over the country); and the supposedly cool, armchair socialists that some view as role models. Meanwhile Zeid invokes funny, hookey riffs from his plopping synths.
Walaa Soda (black cigarette lighter) is about Egypt being crowded, while its people are unable to shape their lives because of lack of opportunities. The contrast between the lyrics and the seemingly cheerful music is striking, the song having a cabaret-esque Bertolt Brecht-Kurt Weill Threepenny Opera-like mood.
The cover of Sheikh Imam's Valerie Giscar D Estaing is a take on another of his satires on trendy, upper-middle class socialists using French instead of Egyptian Arabic. The song, about the former French president's visit to Egypt in 1975, is highly critical of the pomp and splendour surrounding the event at a time when many Egyptians were extremely poor. It satirises the perceived false promises made at the time to improve the lives of ordinary Egyptians and the naivety of western politicians. As the song describes, Giscard d'Estaing represented a rather superficial version of foreign culture, with Egypt's bourgeois classes only copying outer appearances. The musical arrangement of the song demonstrates again how a basic melody line can be turned into an elaborate pop arrangement.
The resulting soundscapes are reminiscent of late 1970s electropop, such as M's Pop Muzik, but also 1980s New Wave music from the United Kingdom, such as early Human League. The simpler tones also correspond with the Sheikh Imam's musical approach, which mostly used a sole oud as accompaniment.
In the same way, Nixon Baba, from Sheikh Iman's original Sharaft ya Nixon baba (It's Been an Honour, Father Nixon), takes apart the American president Richard Nixon's visit to Cairo in 1974. Nixon was then embroiled in the Watergate scandal and the original lyrics claim he was trying to use the visit to boost his popularity. On this album, the version becomes a bright pop song with self-assured vocals and almost tropical-sounding instrumentals.
Other songs, such as Emchi Ala Rimchi (Walk on My Eyelashes, a humorous love song with music by Saleh) and Ghaba (Jungle), a metaphor for human society and another Sheikh Imam song), are turned into miniature electronic soundscapes, where Hamdan proves once more to be one of the most important soundsmiths of the Middle East.
Halawella is the result of two strong personalities who are artistically different, but who admire and like each other. It's clear that the album took several years to complete, but the ensuing controlled partnership is impressive.
This album is available on Amazon.
Neil van der Linden curates music events in the Middle East and North Africa, is editor of the online Gulf Art Guide and writes about Middle East music for Songlines.
QUARTER-FINAL
Wales 20-19 France
Wales: T: Wainwright, Moriarty. Cons: Biggar (2) Pens: Biggar 2
France: T: Vahaamahina, Ollivon, Vakatawa Cons: Ntamack (2)
Other key dates
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Finals draw: December 2
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Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The fake news generation
288,000 – the number of posts reported as hate speech that were deleted by Facebook globally each month in May and June this year
11% – the number of Americans who said they trusted the news they read on Snapchat as of June 2017, according to Statista. Over a quarter stated that they ‘rarely trusted’ the news they read on social media in general
31% - the number of young people in the US aged between 10 and 18 who said they had shared a news story online in the last six months that they later found out was wrong or inaccurate
63% - percentage of Arab nationals who said they get their news from social media every single day.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
