A Wish

Hamza El Din | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 25, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 25, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sounds True
• ASIN: B00000IWPH
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,551 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > World Music > Africa > Sudan
  • #15 in Music > World Music > Africa > Egypt
  • #50 in Music > Indie Music > World Music > Africa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stunning, August 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Wish (Audio CD)

I've heard all of el Din's other albums (and bought many of them), and they're all good, but this one is special. He rarely records with other musicians, but for this CD he's assembled a group who are not only superb artists but friends. The result is an album that's much less austere than his solo works, while still showcasing his virtuosity on the oud and his great gifts as a percussionist, song writer, and singer. The CD is terrific all the way through, from the touching "Greetings" to the visionary final piece. I'm especially fond of "Griffin 2," a setting of a lovely Arabic poem. (The translation in the liner notes is great too, and I'm grateful to the publishers for providing it -- one of my few complaints about el Din's earlier albums is that oftentimes there's no explanation of the words he's singing, or even what the song is about.) And if you have any acquaintance with Nubian dancing, you won't be able to stay in your chair when the "clapping song" comes on! Of the 20 or so albums I've bought in the past year, this is among my top 2-3 favorites, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it for a long time.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wish come true, May 30, 2000

By 

Pharoah S. Wail (Inner Space) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Wish (Audio CD)

I finally just bought this cd. Why did I wait so long?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Hamza has the best oud tone on the planet and this cd shows his tone to perfection. No one that I have heard so far has the richness and warmth and depth to their tone like Hamza has.

I also have to comment on the female guest vocalist on track 1 (Greetings). Her name is Shizuru Ohtaka and if I could find words to describe the feeling and beauty that her voice displays I'd put those words here, but I can't. As far as I am concerned even if the rest of the cd was lackluster (which it isn't, not by a longshot), track one (because of Shizuru and Hamza's voices, and the rhythm of the song) would still make this a cd worth owning. As much as I love Hamza's other cd's, track one of A WISH may be his masterpiece.

Hamza's sense of rhythm and beauty ignite my soul constantly. This is possibly my favorite of the Hamza cd's I own. Some artists have their big moment when they are younger and then they just sort of rust and fizzle out, Hamza is the exact opposite of those people, he seems to be getting better as time goes on. The liner notes say that Shizuru Ohtaka has a few cd's of her own. They are on my "things to buy" list now, she and this cd are incredible.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Painting a poem with music, August 28, 2002

By 

a world traveler (The high Sierras, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wish (Audio CD)

We were returning in the minibus back to the "civilization" of a west African capitol after two weeks in the Sahara. The sun was golden as it set in the heat and the dust. As we passed women were coming in from the fields, camels and cattle walked by, small children played outside mud houses, and Hamza'a music was playing. All our chatter melted away as we sat spellbound by the way the the poetry of his music and the timelessness of the scene meshed.
Tracks 1 and 7 are the best. Track one is so beautiful in it sorrowful poetry. Track 7 is almost majestic, sweeping, a long sigh about change. This is soulful, delicate ethnic music. Highly recommended.