Banadeek Ta'ala (I'm Calling You, Come)

Amr Diab, Banadeek Ta‘ala (I’m calling you, come)
(Rotana/Laser, 2011) – ALL TRACKS FCC CLEAN
Reviewed by Abu Ramses

Beloved Amr Diab, the king of Egyptian Geel-style pop, won the World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist in 1998, 2002, 2007 & 2009. He was the first Egyptian singer to appear in a music video. Tracks of this highly-hyped album leaked online before its release in Sept. 2011 - delayed due to the anti-Mubarak uprising, which Diab strongly supported. Mainly romantic lyrics & house-beat tunes with Diab backed by his “boys”; some more creative fusions depart from this baseline. Diab’s usual fare - successful in its own terms.

Try 1, 3, 11
Tracks
1. Banadeek ta‘ala (I’m calling you, come) - Fuses a house beat with an electric oud – 3:15
2. Halla halla - Upbeat, romantic, lyrics about a great life-changing love – 3:25
3. Ma’darsh ana (I can’t) – Foregrounds Diab’s solo vocal with a more oriental melody, recalling Diab’s early sound – 3:52
4. Allumak leh (Why would I blame you?) mid-tempo; wailing guitar – 3:21
5. Ma‘ak bartah – (With you, I’m relaxed) – Electronica and house beat - 3:53
6. Ya rayt sinnak (But for your age) – nice percussion but otherwise un-notable; he falls for a girl who’s too young – a dicey theme in Egypt – 3:29
7. Ma’ali ‘Aynaya’ (She lifts my eyes) – upbeat dance tune with Klezmerish/ Balkan elements – 3:15
8. Hiya Hayati (She is my life) – 1 minute intro of house beat percussion solo; then with guitar intro; keeps a driving beat to the end with no break - 5:13
9. Yawm ma ‘itabilna (The day we met) - soft tone, smooth & romantic slow dance, nice solo guitar on breaks – 3:25
10. Aghla min ‘umri (More valuable than my life) – Electronica & house beat, 60s rock guitar solos – 4:46
11. ‘Arif habibi (Do you know my love) – Mid-tempo with Latin beat & guitar accompaniment – 3:25
12. Tagriba wa-‘adet – (Trial and Error) – Some electronica; beat shifts between house and traditional Egyptian maqsum; a bit too repetitive – 5:04