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Rating: Third and modernly third-world solo work for the extraordinary Euro-Middle Eastern Atlas-esque voice, "Gedida" [re-recorded and re-released (due to some errors in Arabic language that led to its censorship...) for the sole "Arabesque" market with the different title "Guzouri"] represents, in the more than significant artistic parabola of "Our" vocalist, a complete, remarkable work of acoustic synthesis/melting-pot between "radicality" and expressive and musical modules (only apparently) different and in antithesis.
Born, not just artistically, in the heart of old Europe to mixed parents (Egyptian father, Belgian mother) thus a product of the remarkable crossroad of mixed attitudes/cultures and thanks also to the artistic past within the danceable Trans Globalica integral creature, ("Aqaba", in this sense, is paradigmatic) herald of a trans-territorial approach ethically and musically significant. A truly credible sonic hybridity (Islam Pop has been creatively defined) structured on a decidedly up-to-date theorem (1998, the year of publication) contemplating within itself a happily multi-colored acoustic palette, rich and "very spicy" (as also in the best Arab culinary tradition and surroundings). A musical (and cultural) miscegenation intelligently highlighted as a beneficial added value and not as a sterile recycling/representation of worn-out standards, including and skillfully integrating "Western" instruments and harmonic structures (if you'll excuse the unforgivable stretch), composed of the "classic" samplers, analog and digital keyboards, violas, cellos, violins, digital percussion and peculiar intriguing sounds produced by percussion and non-percussion "musical-tools" of recognizable/customary use not distinctly Central European (oud, tabla, magrouna, riqq, bendir, bouzouqi, nay, accordion, and more for those who have them, can use them) thus an almost perfect, spectacularly soaring warm vocality, immensely interpretative and complete synthesis of such stellar, audio-transversality.
"Mon Amie La Rose" (effective reinterpretation of the track originally performed by Francoise Hardy three decades ago) promiscuously opens, it's worth saying, the pleasant ritual dances with a worthy and dignified tribute tone: understated and confidential thus particularly evocative. Although the audio-material advocated is under the banner of the most brazen modern-melting pot and "mixed-blood", I would consider (de gustibus) the audio-pieces with a higher percentage rate of (semi)exclusively oriental color/flavor to have a significant added value: the ecological-jungle-styled, frenzied and feverish "Mahlabeya", the evocative/danceable "Mistaneek", or again the entirely tribalist (what a wonder to hear the human-accompanying sound produced by clapping hands...) chordally-layered "Ezzay".
Final note: the entire work, with rare exceptions, is sung entirely in Arabic language: a highly musical and expressive language that in this context dictates "wonderfully well" tempos and acoustic-rhythms: Mademoiselle Natacha literally drags through the sense of rhythm and frantic sonically culturally-approaching intelligence. Decidedly much better (and more enjoyable) than any modern hefty and/or voluminous treatise of musical/cultural anthropology.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Mon Amie La Rose (04:47)
On est bien peu de choses
Et mon amie la rose me l'a dit ce matin
A l'aurore je suis née, baptisée de rosé
Je me suis épanouie.
Heureuse et amoureuse
Au rayon du soleil.
Me suis fermée la nuit
Me suis reveillée vieille
Pourtant j'etais trs belle
Oui j'etais la plus belle
Des fleurs de ton jardin
Ou est bien peu de choses
Et mon amie la rose
me l'a dit ce matin
Vois le dieu qui m'a faite
M'a fait courber la tête
Et je sens que je tombe
Et je sens que je tombe
mon coeur est presque nu
j'ai le pied dans la tombe
Dejà je ne suis plus
Tu m'admirais que hier et je serais poussière
Pour toujours demain
On est bien peu de choses
Et mon amie la rose est morte ce matin
La lune cette nuit, a veillé mon amie
Moi en rêvée j'ai vu
éblouissante et nue
Son âme qui dansait
Bien-au delà de vue
Et qui me sourait.
Croit celui qui peut croire
Moi j'ai besoin d'espoir
Sinon je ne suis rien
Ou est bien peu de choses
Et mon amie la rose
me l'a dit ce matin
Vois le dieu qui m'a faite
M'a fait courber la tête
Et je sens que je tombe
Et je sens que je tombe
mon coeur est presque nu
j'ai le pied dans la tombe
Dejà je ne suis plus
Tu m'admirais que hier et je serais poussière
Pour toujours demain
11 One Brief Moment (05:29)
I miss him
that man I almost met
how can it be
that we shared a secret
in one brief moment
our eyes were windows
and in those moments
I hope for him again
his gentle spirit
whispering words
whispering words
to dreams long forgotten
his eyes like candles
in the temple
a mirror to the core of my soul
in some brief moments
we shared a secret
and in those moments
I hope for him again
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