Customer Reviews

Desert Roses & Arabian Rhythms II

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

 

 

Desert Roses & Arabian Rhythms 2 is an exceptional compilation of Middle Eastern music with an occidental flare. Each week, I play different music at my introductory belly dance classes, and this CD was a definite favourite for my students. The music is accessible for western ears, yet has enough of the eastern sound to be recognizable as something quite different.

Standout tracks include Rachid Taha's "En Retard" (I love his raunchy-sounding vox and the crunchy and heavy music), Olga Tanon & Hakim's "Ah Ya Albi" (upbeat and fun to dance to), Amina's "Lirrili" (also fun to dance to), and Cheb Mami's soulful "Baida."

If you're looking for an introduction to Middle Eastern pop/dance music, this, and Desert Roses & Arabian Rhythms I, are perfect samplers.

I like this CD. It is not as good as the first version, but the first song (Olga Tanon/Hakim) is incredible! I can't get it out of my head.. I listen to it constantly. Perhaps that's because my Arabic fiance and I met while living in Spain and I find the blend of Arabic and Spanish irresistible...

I would definitely recommend this CD - but if you're new to this style, buy the first version and Arabic Beats. And if you're into world music, I highly recommend Buddha Bar III. It has some great Arabic music (Amr Diab!), some Hindi, Spanish and various other world styles.

I caught about 2 minutes worth of this CD on an NPR music program, and liked it well enough to order the CD immediately!

I have never really been exposed to music like this, and love it. It is high energy, other worldly music, and very complex - and absolutely perfect for dancing around the house by oneself!

If everyone in the Middle East listened to and enjoyed this music, there couldn't possibly be any problems.

Am now ordering the Volume I version...

Unlike the original Desert Roses (which I loves from the first few bars of the 1st song) it took me a while to warm up to it. Though the music is enjoyable to listen to, I don't find it as suitable for belly dancing as the original. Desert Roses 2 is more discoteque/club dancing than belly dancing. For someone looking for modern music for belly dancing, I'd do Desert Roses, then Arabic Groove, and then maybe Desert Roses 2.

A continuation of the wonderful "Desert Roses & Arabian Rhythms" CD, this one continues with even more Arabic pop music. Many of the favorites from the first CD return, like Rai legends Khaled, Cheb Mami and Faudel, Tunisian pop star Amina, and the legendary Hakim. Theres also plenty of new names.... pop singer Shani, techno masters Oojami and Zohar, Lebanese pop singer Nawal al Zoughbi, and Sabu & Arabian Fantasy. If you liked the first CD, then you'll love this one.

Once again, the focus is on crossovers between Middle Eastern and Western music. It opens with a rap duet done by Hakim and Olga Tanon, the resulting fusion of Egyptian al-jeel and Latino hip hop is incredibly fun. The following track, a pop song by Europop winner Amina, features the use of Tunisian bagpipes (ghaita). There's Rai from Algerian stars Khaled and Cheb Nasro, techno dance beats from Oojami, and Arabic pop from Nawal al Zoughbi. For English speakers, there are two English songs here "Call of the Wild" and a version of Squeeze's song "Take Me I'm Yours", with guest vocals by Latifa and Arabic musical sounds thrown in. Others highlights include a duet between Ragheb Alama and Faudel, Mediterranean ambient techno sounds from Zohar, wild Algerian rock from Rachid Taha, and the almost Celtic sounding Rai song "Baida" from Cheb Mami.

All in all, this is a great CD if you like Arabic music, particularly crossovers between Arabic pop and western music. If you don't have the first CD, go out and buy that one too (and probably the third for that matter). You'll want to after you hear this CD. Sure, there are plenty of great Arabic artists left off of these CDs, but its a good starting place if nothing else. Trust me, you'll love it.

This CD provides for a unique exprience in the merging of music worlds. It introduces new musicians to research and expand one's music repertoire. Glad I got it.

If you like the sort of Arabic style pop music, this is the album for you. It's fast-paced and catchy, as well as diverse. Almost each song is dance-worthy.

A strong recommendation toward this album, and the Desert Roses 2 is great too.

I love this CD. This is my second Desert Roses CD. Try the first as well.Desert Roses and Arabian Rhythms