Dishdasha

Ilham al-Madfa‘i, Dishdasha; EMI Music Arabia (2009)/Rip Cat Records 2011
ALL TRACKS FCC CLEAN Reviewed by Abu Ramses

Ilham al-Madfa’i, a70-year-old Iraqi guitarist, singer & composer, has been mixing Western style guitar & Iraqi folk tunes since he formed The Twisters, Iraq's first rock and roll band, in 1961. Known as the “Baghdad Beatle,” al-Madfa‘i vies with Egyptian composer Muhammad Abdel Wahhab (d. 1991) for the title of “first to introduce Western rhythms & phrasing into Arab music.” Al-Madfa‘i is less known due to his Iraqi origins. He was popular in 1970s Iraq, but had to leave after Saddam Hussein rose to power in 1979. He worked in construction around the Gulf, returned to Iraq shortly before the 1991 Iraq War, and was then banned from leaving. In 1994 he emigrated to Jordan, where he now lives with Jordanian citizenship bestowed in recognition of his talents. Since then he has made a string of hit albums on the EMI Arabia label: self-titled Ilham al-Madfai (1999), Live at the Hard Rock Cafe (2001), Baghdad (2003) and The Voice of Iraq: The Best of Ilham al-Madfai (2005). “Dishdasha” is his latest.

Try 1, 4, 5, 7, 8 (I like 9, 10, 11 less because they are entirely Western-style.)
Tracks
1. Ya Bunaya (My son) – Upbeat, Greco-Mediterranean instrumental intro & breaks, chorus behind solo vocal - 3:48
2. Hroof El Hubb (The letters of love) – Slow, romantic, sax intro, then more driving instrumental backup & vocal - 5:29
3. Sayeb (Leaving) – Mid-tempo ballad; piano, nay, accordion intro before solo vocal with backup chorus - 4:56
4. Babouri (My Steamboat) – Slow accordion intro breaks into up-tempo celebration of steamboats carrying sugar and tea(from his time in the Gulf)- 4:19
5. Dishdasha (the long robe worn by Arab men in the Gulf region) – Upbeat solo & chorus; prominent qanun embellishing melody after each stanza - 4:04
6. Habibi Rah (My beloved has gone) – A torch song. Slow, haunting nay intro; solo and female backup - 5:28
7. Bien El Assir (Between afternoon and susnset) – Traditional sounding qanun and nay intro; then more upbeat solo and chorus - 4:56
8. Ma Muqtine Beek (You don't convince me) – Up-tempo reproach to a beloved with quick qanun & clarinet solos; female choral backup - 4:48
9. Marina - Italian tune with bossa nova beat; surprise qanun entry @1:30 - 4:21
10. Wien Raieh Wien (Where are you going?) – Mid-tempo; Latin beat; qanun & clarinet solos; choral backup; In Arabic, but could be a Western tune - 4:52
11. Fly Me to the Moon – Latin beat; sax & qanun solos - 4:15