Middle Eastern Music: Arabic and/or Hebrew

From Libya to Israel to Iraq and the UAE, post your favorites or new finds here!

Hopefully, this thread will not only provide pleasure for all diverse music-lovers, but also an appreciation and an increase in understanding of an area so under contention these days...

If possible, post English translations; if not, well sometimes, music speaks to souls without words IMO.

I'll start it out with Nancy Ajram (Egypt/Lebanon), and one of my favorites of hers--English subs are not quite accurate. Though Arabic is like my 3rd language...lol...she is speaking of the importance of 50/50 in a relationship.

Enjoy! Please contribute and comment; thanks.

[without Eng]


[with Eng &~?????~accuracy]

reply to post by sonjah1


Love it. It tears at my heart. Please post more.

reply to post by mydarkpassenger


Happy that it touches you as it touches me...

Plenty of time for the romance of this music.

Ignore the next post if you aren't into revolutions/political overthrows

OOPS...double post, sorry peeps!

This is one of the "arrested" in Tunisia--involved in the recent overthrow of the "corrupt" government--although some sources have him placed in Dearborn.

Nevertheless, he will live in *history*:

el général, (Hamada Ben Aoun) Tunisian Revolutionary:

hi Sonjah1

i like Azam Ali. she has an angelic voice.

reply to post by delicatessen


Thank you for sharing!

I hadn't heard her before, but she has a beautiful voice...The song "transports" me to another time, and speaks to my old soul.
_________________________________________________________________
Here is another Tunisian song, by Saber Al Rubai...

This is one of my all-time favourite music videos because it similar to a "full-circle" story and simulates lucid dreaming...you really have to watch it in entirety to get the full meaning.



snippet of English translation: A lot, a lot, sweetheart... A lot, a lot, your love infiltrated into my heart.. A lot, a lot, A lot, a lot, sweetheart... A lot, a lot, your love infiltrated into my heart.. A lot, a lot,
you want to go away from my eye, my body and soul will become so sick
My love for you is so much, my soul is thirsty, my heart gives you its .. and my mind is waiting for your decision
The passion is .. me a lot, ..... , sweetheart just listen to me, stop
The look of you eye opens the heart's doors, i wish if i
if you want to go away from my eye, my body and soul will become so sick
My love for you is so much, my soul is thirsty, my heart gives you its .. and my mind is waiting for your decision
The passion is .. me a lot, ..... , sweetheart just listen to me, stop
The look of you eye opens the heart's doors, i wish if i can , and the love becomes authorized!

Power to the people in Eqypt! I am hestitantly hopeful that the future is bright for all....

Sherine (Egypt) is always one of my favorites...

This is her *version* of the Egyptian national anthem.

As always, translation of English sub-titles is a bit distorted...Arabic words/meanings get a bit twisted with colloquialisms, and multi-meanings, etc.

In support:

Tribute to Warda, the Egyptian people and their revolution!


I've liked this song since the first time I heard it as a kid on a trip to Egypt in the 1970's - I didn't understand one word Arabic but I got totally hooked on this song/rythm and was singing words from this song out loud everywhere we went: Ismaooni (Listen to me)

My mum bought the cassette tape for my small cassette player and I played it over and over as crazy in the rooms at the Hotels we stayed at.

People were just smiling and probably thought it was quite funny to see a Western kid running around trying to sing this popular tune everywhere we went. lol!

I remember that my parents went rather nuts of having me singing 'Ismaooni' during the whole vacation, and when even my younger sister also started to sing with me - they just shooked their heads and said: WTF?!

I don't know why, I was perhaps peculiar and weird that way - but this music, rythm, song and instrumental parts really got stuck in my head, and still today, I like it!




I post all parts of the song here as well:

Warda: Ismaooni part1 وردة الجزائرية


Warda: Ismaooni part2 وردة الجزائرية


Warda:Ismaooni part3 وردة الجزائرية


Warda:Ismaooni part4 وردة الجزائرية



I found this translation:


Oh the people of love before you done me injustice hear me

hear me and hear me and understand me

we loved a a lot, we loved (or were in love)

and we drank, for years, from love, we drank together

and we melted a lot, we melted

and our hearts were tortured


and one night meet him, talk to him, ask him

ask him about my name, ask him about my love

he said I didn't know him, I haven't met him, I haven't seen him, I haven't loved him

he's saying he doesn't remember us, and doesn't remember a love [relationship] between us

does it mean he didn't remember us, and doesn't remember our love

and our days together

what did he say to you.. don't be surprised

Is there anyone these days who recalls?


go, go

go tell him, oh moon

he remembers us or did he forget?

he forgets us or does he remember

the nights of staying awake

why don't you tell him, oh moon

or you've , oh moon,

learned cruelness and became like my baby

you forget your loved ones, oh moon

it's strange and not strange.. life, it has wonders

it makes those who are unfair comforted.. and it tires the good ones

who who

what good is this to anyone oh people

who who

the best years are lost

and days come and people say:

'I don't know who he/she is'

and oh.. only if days talked they would've told what we used to do

and how much love there was and how it's gone and how we were and now how we've become

and see what's he saying about us now

and one night meet him, talk to him, ask him

ask him about my name, ask him about my love

he said I didn't know him, I haven't met him, I haven't seen him, I haven't loved him

he's saying he doesn't remember us, and doesn't remember a love [relationship] between us

and our days together

what did he say to you.. don't be surprised

Is there anyone these days who recalls?


listen to me

to what I'm saying.. listen to me

let's forget what used to be between us

let's forget time's betrayal

listen to me

what do you think?

what do you say?

a loss, and a thousand loss

but what can I do


and one night meet him, talk to him, ask him

ask him about my name, ask him about my love

he said I didn't know him, I haven't met him, I haven't seen him, I haven't loved him

does it mean he didn't remember us, and doesn't remember our love

and our days together

what did he say to you.. don't be surprised

Is there anyone these days who recalls?


I sometimes listen to Rai and Lebanese/Egyptian/Arabic/Middle Eastern music, and there's a few quite good ones! but most I can't to find on YouTube though!

This is one of my favourites - first the original with Amr Diab, then another version with Ishtar Alabina - both are great!

Amr Diab - Habibi Ya Nour el Ain


Ishtar Alabina: Habibi ya nour el ain


This one with Cheb Khaled is great!

Cheb Khaled Aicha



Great Persian Rap:

Hichkas - Ye Mosht Sarbaz Offical Video



From Egypt:

Haitham Sa'eid - Homma Malhom



Some videos with Lebanese artists

Myriam Fares - Ha'aliq Rahtak


Haifa Wahbi - Rajab


Nancy Ajram - El Donia Helwa


Haifa wehbe - Salem Halak live


Here's a duet with with Lebanese singer Rola and the diva Sabah - Yana Yana



Two more videos with Ishtar:

Ishtar Alabina - Habibi (Sawah)


Ishtar - Last Kiss



Some more videos with modern Arabic music:

Tunisian hit Sidi Mansour Ya Baba


Summer electrohouse Hit 2009 from Tunisia - Sexy Love (Official Music Video) by TarikElectro


TOP 10 Arabia February 2010


Arabic House Mix 2010 Part 1

reply to post by Chevalerous


My Appreciation Chevalerous,

Amazing that a Westerner has your obvious knowledge and passion in this topic; so many thanks in sharing; I think we have a lot in common from early years

I adore Amr Diab, and Myriam Fares as well...Haifa, is okay (more a model, hee, hee) but is considered the best artist mostly with the Arab *men* side of my family...

I like the way you added the oldies (I know, too! ) and the newermixes, too. I gave you a star, but I would love to give you 100 stars if I could.

Here are some additions:

Amal Hijazi: "Mestani Eih"
...essential translation: what are you waiting for, my love, come here and make the move



Ali Al Deek translation of name, "the rooster", lol: "Aloush"
....essential translation: (bedouin music) family is trying to get him up to do his chores and he is too lazy!!!....



I can't post without Nancy....she sang my 2nd wedding song...