Customer Reviews

Ayeshteni

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I got an advanced copy of this CD last week. Initially, I was disappointed with the general sound, except a few songs, but one week later, I like most of the songs, my favorite songs being Screaming Jay Hawkins cover 'I Put A Spell on You' and 'Soleil D'egypte'.

This album was recorded almost entirely in Cairo, with Egyptian musicians, so it comes as no surprise that it is Natacha's most Arab album. Most of the songs are in the popular Egytpian shaabi style. And in order not to totally alienate the Western audience, who are more 'Diaspora'(her club-friendly debut album) than 'Halim' (her more Middle Eastern sophomore effort), a few world-electronica songs are thrown into the mix. (particularly 'Soleil D'egypte', partly produced by multicultural French band Zebda and has a nice drum'n'bass rhythm and 'Manbai', which is remixed by Nitin Sawhney.) I expected 'Manbai' to be more lounge-y like most of Nitin Sawhney's stuff, but this track uses a standard dance beat, which I found very uninteresting, but the way the Natacha Atlas's voice is brought into the mix makes this song interesting.

Natacha Atlas covers two very well-known songs in this album. Screaming Jay Hawkins's 'I Put A Spell On You' and Jacques Brel's timeless 'Ne Me Quitte Pas' are both given an Egyptian treat. I think 'I Put a Spell On You' works really well, with Arabic instruments, vocals and male choir. 'Ne Me Quitte Pas' is not bad either, but Rai singer Faudel already covered this song with better results, in my opinion. Natacha's version is very similar to Faudel's, and I think Faudel sings this song better.

The rest of the songs are sung in Arabic. Initially, they all sounded very similar to me, but they grew on me later on. Each song has its own interesting moments. 'Shubra' has the great male choir singing, 'Ashwa' is a nice sexy song that has an interesting refrain where I like the way Natacha plays with her voice, 'Ayeshteni' has a nice string section (but that doesn't save the song, this is the most mediocre song here). 'Mish Fadilak' and 'Fakrenha' stand out as the best Arabic songs in the album. 'Mish Fadilak' is an exhilarating song that with a great melody and is the song that is most fun to listen and dance to. 'Fakrenha' is also very good with the great string arrangements.

I would recommend this album if you liked Natacha's Halim or Gedida. If you liked Diaspora but not aforementioned two albums, this is definitely not for you. Fans of Arab singers such as Khaled, Cheb Mami, Fairuz, Amr Diab will also enjoy this album.

In my opinion, this album also indicates that Natacha has come a long way since she sang for Jah Wobble's album. From being a exotic vocalist in ethno-techno circles (I even read recently that in 80's, she was in the goth crowd!) , she paved her way to being a full-fledged Middle-Eastern diva. Once described herself as 'human Gaza strip' with her multicultural (Sephardic Jew- Egyptian-British and what not) background, this album shows that she is Egyptian at heart, no matter what her background is.

Natacha Atlas manages to weave Egyptian/Arabic music into a mesmerizing experience with her English version of Screamin' Joe Hawkins "I put a spell on you" and the beautiful French tune, "Ne Me Quitte Pas" ... It is her smokey, sultry, sexy voice which will definitely do the trick if by chance the exotic Arabic music and instruments should fail ... *not* likely to happen.

The traditional and modern instruments, the oud, the darbouka (percussion) and drums, occasionally the violin, viola or cello, qanun, along with the clarinet and guitar create an exciting adventurous visit to an Arabic cafe ...The programming, back up vocals, and overall stylization of music is exceptional in creating a mood and feeling which is truly cultural and authentic.

The entire CD contains music and vocals which capture the listener's attention and captivate for the entire playing time ... Take a look at the cover, Natacha's voice sounds as enticing as her extraordinairy beauty ... She has an outstanding ability to interpret the traditional cultural Arabic vocals and music into mainstream music. It is a most precious gift. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)

It's a shame Americans are so famously averse to songs that aren't in English. We're cutting ourselves off from so much worthy culture! This CD is just one example of what we're losing.

Only one song on this disc is in English, a tricked-out version of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' classic "I Put a Spell On You." You can hear the blues influence even through the Arabic dance riffs that dominate, showing Atlas' eclectic force. It's tempting to pass this track off as a sly joke, and it is that, too; but as you listen to it you realize Atlas is in deadly earnest. It's an extremely powerful song.

"I Put a Spell On You" is one of the two songs on this CD that Atlas didn't have at least a hand in writing-the other one is "Ne Me Quitte Pas," by French songwriter Jaques Brel. This is also one of the two songs in French; the remaining eight tracks are in Arabic. The rhythms inherent in the different languages open up a palatte of musical possibilities. Where all-English albums can quickly start to sound repetetive, this one never tires out.

Natacha Atlas makes heavy use of non-traditional musical tricks, bringing in European instruments, adding in DJ scratches, and whatever else takes her fancy. The only consistent theme through this album is that the tracks have a danceable beat. Atlas is herself an experienced and skillful dancer; this album demonstrates how that transfers to her music.

This album will never get the American support it deserves. This is a damn shame, since it's a superlative and multi-layered selection of songs that can appeal to a broad audience. Give it what support you can, and share it with anyone who will listen. Get the word out. Maybe we can make this world a little more pleasant to listen to.

I just can't. I realize that she is a more-than-talented vocalist, and that she effortlessly spans the gap between Arabic pop and world beat. But the sad truth is that when I listen to Natacha Atlas, I am totally lost in the overwhelming sexiness of her voice. It's like cream, it's like butter, it's like honey. It undulates with pure sensuality. I don't listen to Natacha Atlas; I am overcome by her.

It's just not right, I know; I should be commenting on the clever arrangements, on her exotically wrong-but-right take on "I Put A Spell On You," on her gift for drama without bathos, of her wisdom in knowing when to illustrate the songs with vocal filigree and when not to. I should be commenting on all of this. But it's useless; when I listen to her I am transported to some nonexistent fantastic place, a tent in the middle of a desert, the air smoky with incense, someplace lit with fires instead of electricity, someplace with the undercurrent of earth and sky and fire and lust, the heartbeat of lust, desire and heat rising, as the dancers spin and undulate...

you see? I told you. I can't write sanely about this woman. It's impossible; it's hopeless. Just buy the damn CD.

...because this is a different version.

This French version of "Ayeshteni" is definitely worth considering for the two extra songs not found on the International version: "Le Gout du Pain" and "Mish Fadilak (French Version)", which is shorter than the Arabic version with some slight differences in arrangements. You do lose "Soleil D'Egypte", but I consider it a fair tradeoff.

This version also contains the original, non-remixed version of "Manbai". It has a more "lounge-y" and laid-back feel and is about ten minutes long -- and I prefer it to the Nitin Sawhney remix.

Overall I find "Ayeshteni" a weaker effort than Natacha's previous releases -- "Halim"and "Gedida" were more consistent and solid, whereas "Ayeshteni" occasionally wanders off track and gets tangled in repetition and empty ambience. Still, I'd rather listen to Natacha's crystalline and passionate voice bridging the gap between Western and Arabic music than yet another bland top 40 pop tune. A must-buy for Natacha fans and new Arabic music initiates.

It seems she'll never disappoint you with her music. This, Natacha Atlas 4th album is yet another solid release - I had my expectations and she does actually more than deliver the goods.

In comparison to the preceding albums `Halim' and `Gedida', `Ayeshteni' has a more dance friendly approach. The sound feels very up to date, and perhaps this is Atlas most commercial work so far. The opener, "Shubra' is amazing and the rest of the album continues in stylish fashion. Songs like `Mish Fadilak' and especially `Ashwa' have such catchiness, it is almost impossible not to start moving. This album not only shows what singing talent this woman possesses, but also that she really is a great song-writer. It is noticeable that tracks 8 & 9 on `Halim', both written by Atlas herself, are among the most prominent on that album. Here she is responsible for most of the song-writing - impressive! When you sit back and listen to the latter songs, `Rah', `Lelsama' and `Fakrenha', it feels like being on a travel in Egypt - these tunes definitely belong to Atlas finest moments.

A few earlier reviews have been a little harsh on this album I think. If you ask me, the `I Put A Spell..' cover is also very good. My only criticism is that the last tune Manbai, which is a quality mix by Nitin Sawhney, does not fit together with the rest of this album. It sounds like something taken from `The Remix Collection', but does not fit in here unless maybe one pretend it is kind of like a bonus track.

If you're an Atlas fan, go out and buy this album. If you haven't heard her yet, I would recommend that you buy this or any of her other albums.

I came across this album by accident here at Amazon, and hesitated buying it at first because I could not really get a feel of what style of music it was. After seeing the album again by chance at the bookstore, I went ahead and bought it. I'm glad I did. There are a growing number of people who have grown up listening to both Arabic and Western music and are able to appreciate and understand both. If you are one of these people, you will be blown away by this album. This artist is the first I have listened to who really understands both Arabic and Western music and is able to blend them to the best effect for both. I think her version of "I put a spell on you" is absolutely brilliant.

I am a devoted fan of Natacha Atlas, definitely! I will not even attempt to imitate the great review written by Halil, who deserves 5 stars for that himself... Anyway, I did enjoy the "interpretation" of both French titles, and I must say that her voice actually improved the nostalgic/romantic feeling that permeates the song "Ne Me Quitte Pas", one of the best in the French tradition, I might add... Sorry but I cannot say the same about "I Put A Spell On You", and I mean no disrespect for Natacha Atlas. All of the other songs gave me the usual fulfillment and joy, which is what I feel every time I listen to her voice. Thank you, Natacha Atlas!

I'd like to weigh in on Natacha Atlas' choice of I Put A Spell on You as a cover. It starts off well, with the scratching and ominous beat. Then, when she sings the first line, her voice sounds a bit on the thin side but I am still OK. Unfortunately, she falls back on "la-la-las" as bridges between the lurics and this comes, off as a crutch, i.e., she does not feel comfortable with the silences so necessary to blues phrasing. If she really felt it was necessary to do THIS song and really had to do the la-la-las, then she should have cut them out during the final mix. I mean, they're recording this in digital, right? So it would not difficult. Cutting out those la-la-las would have left her voice sounding exposed and vulnerable and this song would have worked in an exposed/vulnerable way. As is, it is a bit embarrassing and I will be programming this song out when I listen to the CD. Oh. One last thing: another reviewer was right about the last track "Manbai." It does come off as one of those dance remix bonuses and is out of character with the rest of the songs. I like what Natacha does, so will cut her a bit of slack and only deduct one star, although the two aforementioned tracks are mistakes. Natacha: stick to Arabic (although the French is OK in a kitschy sort of way. It is a beautiful language. You sing it beautifully.

I love this album. It is a sucsesful mix of great vocals (in French, Arabic and English) with wonerful production from the electronica artist Trans Global Underground. The creative, tight production values consistant with the rest of his work, and mix superbly with Natacha's already beautiful, sultry style.

All the songs are great, and her version of "I Put A Spell On You" leaves all others' versions of the song in the dust.