Abdel Halim Hafiz- Zay El Hawa (Soutelphan) عبدالحليم إسماعيل شبانة زي الهوا

Abdel Halim Ali Shabana (Arabic: عبدالحليم علي شبانة) commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez (Arabic: عبد الحليم حافظ‎) (June 21, 1929 – March 30, 1977), is among the most popular and celebrated singers ever in Egypt and the Arab world...He is also widely known as el-Andaleeb el-Asmar (The Great Dark Skinned Nightingale, Arabic: العندليب الأسمر‎)..[and has also] earned such names as the King of Romance, King of Arabic music, The King of Emotions and Feelings, The Ambassador of Love, The Son of the Revolution and more...(Wikipedia)

Halim Hafiz's legendary performance of Zay El-Hawa ("It Feels Like Love"), released on Soutelphan Records. Can't read the Arabic on the album cover & I haven't pinned down the performance or release dates yet. Anyone? This song's lyrics are written by Mohamed Hamza & the music is composed by Baligh Hamdi. 320 vinyl rip by yours truly.



Download Link: Abdel Halim Hafiz- Zay El Hawa (Soutelphan) عبدالحليم إسماعيل شبانة زي الهوا

Warda- Esmaouni (1974) وردة

Warda is a French-born Algerian singer, who eventually moved to Egypt and married composer Baligh Hamdi. He wrote the music for Esmaouni. This album was a Sout el Hob production from Atef Montasser & Co, Cairo. Manufactured and Distributed by EMI Greece. 1974. I fixed up this custom cover art till I can get a proper scan.

Look how rad this orchestra is...



Download Link: Warda- Esmaouni (1974)

Belly Dance- Hommage a Baligh Hamdi

GC has been on the receiving end of some killer suprise gifts and neighborly goodwill all day. Sometimes when it rains at pours. First came the semi anonymous copy of BLA (previous post, below). Then, Owl over at Holywarbles just up and laid this superfly Baligh Hamdi joint right down on my digital doorstep. He knows I love this man. Must say, that Owl is a solid mate.



Mediafire Download Link: Belly Dance- Hommage a Baligh Hamdi

Om Kalsoum- Seret El Hob [The Narrative of Love] (1946)

Went looking for more great Om Kalsoum/ Baligh Hamdi recordings. Found this classic somewhere random, and fixed up some cooler cover art for it.



Labeled "indisputably the Arab world's greatest singer" by World Music: The Rough Guide, Egyptian singer Umm Kalthum (alternately spelled Kalthoum or Kalsoum) is regarded as a treasure of Middle Eastern culture. In a career that lasted more than 50 years she became known as "the voice and face of Egypt" with a voice powerful enough to shatter glass but that was used more often to capture the emotional depth of the poems she set to music. Her importance to Egyptian music in particular and Middle Eastern music in general prompted her biographer, Virginia Danielson, to write on the All Music Guide website: "Imagine a singer with the virtuosity of Joan Sutherland or Ella Fitzgerald, the public persona of Eleanor Roosevelt and the audience of Elvis and you have Umm Kulthum, the most accomplished singer of her century in the Arab world."

Music : Baligh Hamdi
Lyrics: Morsi Gamil Aziz

Mediafire Download Link: Om Kalsoum- Seret El Hob
MP3 | 224Kbps | 39m:15s | 65mb |

Baligh Hamdi & Magid Khan- Indo Arabic Varitiations

Egyptian Composer Baligh Hamdi meets Indian sitarist Magid Khan. Great Stuff. Here's an excellent review pulled from Waxidermy. Thanks again to "Owl", my semi-anonymous source for this one.

Mediafire Download Link: Baligh Hamdi & Maid Khan- Indo Arabic Variations

Baligh Hamdi- Le Monde Musical de Baligh Hamdi بليغ حمدي

Here's a rare & amazing Egyptian 70's psych classic just ripped to vinyl by yours truly. Allow me to assure you folks hungry for more Omar Khorshid; you're definitely going to need this Baligh Hamdi LP. FYI, Khorshid was a regular hired gun in Hamdi's orchestra. Together, they were responsible for some of the very best recorded work of the legendary Om Kalsoum. Just saying- this album is dynamite.

Baligh Hamdi by nicholab

Download Link: Baligh Hamdi- Le Monde Musical de Baligh Hamdi.

Om Kalsoum- Alf Lela Wlela أم كلثوم

A classic and spellbinding performance from Egyptian singer Om Kalsoum, "The Star of the East", and her orchestra. Without really knowing, I'd be willing to bet my bottom dollar that's Omar Khorshid on guitar. Music by Baligh Hamdi, if I'm not mistaken. Anyone? This is truly wonderful stuff.
(Audio Excerpt)

Mediafire Download Link: Om Kalsoum- Alf Lela Wlela

Various Artists- Eastern Standard Time

This is a sweet vintage Asian/Eastern psych compilation. Limited edition vinyl release on Weltraum Disk.

1. azef el leyl / layale bourg el hamam 0:24
2. sahara city / mohamed abdel wahab 2:02
3. gada / baligh hamdy 5:32
4. the belly dancer / the sheik's men 2:08
5. dance of the rice-tresher / the leon-symphoniette 2:48
6. shabaz qualander / fore thoughts 2:26
7. edo komoriuta / terauchi takeshi + his blue jeans 3:16
8. saat maatray / sohail rana 2:19
9. nootet el daaf / faiza ahmed 2:42
10. raks el asie / baligh hamdy 3:17
11. guitar el chark / omar khorshid 1:58
12. snake charmer's delight / little egypt 4:50
13. madimak / les mogol 2:16
14. dream ride / naushad 1:56
15. aa jane jaan / s. hazarasingh 1:37
16. jaaneman jaaneman / charanjit singh 3:25
17. unknown bonus track / unknown bonus track 5:23

Mediafire Download Link: V/A- Eastern Standard Time