Deb
Amazon.com There’s a lovely way of swinging round a note rather than simply landing on it which Arabic singers often use, and in Deb ("Heartbroken") Souad Massi shows she is mistress of this art, particularly when aided and abetted by the sinuous sound of the spike-fiddle. When the desert-dry timbre of the oud plus the Spanish guitar are added to the mixture, it becomes even more potent, but that’s exactly what we have come to expect from this bewitching Algerian entertainer. Her background explains a lot: her musical education was classical, but she joined a flamenco band at 17; she loves both Western rock and traditional Arab instruments. You’d think all this would lead to a terrible mish-mash, but it’s actually a winning combination. Sometimes the spotlight falls on Daniel Manzanas’s cracked flamenco tones, sometimes on a quartet of violins, and sometimes on the tambourine and tabla. But pervading everything is Souad Massi’s irresistible voice, uniting East and West with wit and style. Heartbroken ? Well, only up to a point... -- Michael Church
Souad Massi   Format: Audio CD
{"Date First Available": "September 29, 2022"}