Gedida

Natacha Atlas | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 4, 2011)
• Original Release Date: March 9, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mantra
• ASIN: B00000I7RP
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,761 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #7 in Music > Indie Music > New Age > World Dance
  • #20 in Music > Indie Music > Dance & DJ > Ambient
  • #34 in Music > World Music > Middle East > Arabic

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The swirl of Egyptian strings, hip-hop beats, love, and politics can make strange bedfellows, but once again Natasha Atlas, chanteuse and belly dancer, makes sense of it all. Singing in several languages (including French on the opener "Mon Amie la Rose") she delivers 11 exotic worldbeat tracks full of exuberance, reflection, and yearning that are at once compassionate and militant, her Arabic roots sharing center stage with her club experiences with the likes of Transglobal Underground. Funky beats, kanoun, oud, string sections, and percussion jostle for attention in the background as Atlas's serpentine vocals entwine the listener in tales of passion, injustice, and the mysteries of life. Recorded both in London and Cairo, Gedida is a truly cosmopolitan melting pot for the '90s, ranging from hip dance-floor grooves to traditional Egyptian orchestral arrangements, and Atlas, equally at home in both, is fast proving herself one of the most intriguing and original artists blending international cultures into a common musical language. --Derek Rath

Product Description

Natacha Atlas' third album greatly expands upon the promise of her earlier work -- on Gedida, her fusion of Arabic musical traditions and contemporary dance beats really jells, eliminating the more gimmicky dimensions of earlier records to strike a fascinating balance between old and new. While tracks like "Kifaya" and "Ezzay" magnify the cinematic aspirations of past efforts, Gedida also takes a number of fascinating left turns -- a cover of Françoise Hardy's "Mon Amie la Rose" is hauntingly beautiful, while on the closing "One Brief Moment" Atlas delivers her first English-language vocal.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Natacha's Best Album, June 1, 2003

By 

Zekeriyah (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Gedida (Audio CD)

Pop singer Natacha Atlas is one of the best voices in Arabic pop music, both in Egypt and in the west. Because she sings in Arabic, English and French, her music is both beautiful and easily approachable to western ears. Although at times she does play up the stereotypes, making her music "more Egyptian", she is one of the most talented pop stars around. From the romantic opening song "Mon Amie la Rose" to the stunning tracks "Kifaya" (enough) and "One Brief Moment", she enthralls you, making you want to dance, listen and even sing along. This is probably her best CD, and I strongly recommend you check out her other works if you appreciate this. Aside from the aforementioned songs, I also am particularly fond of "Bastet", "The Righteous Path" and "Bilaadi" (My Country). Check her out, especially if your new to Arabic/Egyptian pop music. She is definately an easy introduction for westerners who may be unused to Egyptian music or the Arabic language.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOOOOOOOOOVE this album!, March 13, 2000

By 

dameshe (new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gedida (Audio CD)

I picked up this album on a whim while searching for some new middle eastern music to dance to. By the third song (Mistaneek) I was completely in love with the music and Natacha's beautiful, passionate voice. This album is truly a rare gem -an exquisite mix of traditional middle eastern instruments and rythyms with modern sounds. AND it actually works! I have since bought her previous efforts, Halim, and Diaspora, and while I recommend those as well, with Gedida she outdid herself. Natacha, I anxiously awaiting the next album!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Arabic mystery, French sensuality, British precision, December 13, 2001

By 

Rhys Hughes (Swansea, Wales, Europe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gedida (Audio CD)

This is a great album. Most of the songs are sung in Arabic, which is a beautiful language, but Natacha displays her versatility by also including a song in French and one in English. This is something she has done on other albums. On GEDIDA, the opening song is the French one, and it's very mysterious and smooth: she sounds a little bit like Liz Frazer of the Cocteau Twins. But the following songs show that she has a wider range than Liz. They are suffused with the Egyptian tradition, with insistent but subtle rhythms and evocative melodies. This is exuberant music, very tightly orchestrated and cleverly arranged, the various instruments held together by Natacha's astonishing voice, which can swoop or be breathy or fierce. Natacha is marvellous.