Ziad Rahbani - Houdou Nisbi

The many faces of Ziad rahbani are exhibited in the diversity of his work. But whether a hopeless romantic or a scathing critic, he brings an air of 1980s Beirut with him on Houdou Nisbi.

The album is a tribute to Ziad's love for jazz, but like his complex personality, it is full of influences from both east and west. The album opens with Bala Wala Chi, a heartfelt ballad sung by longtime friend Sami Hawat.

The title song is a melancholic, jazzy number accented with Ziad's signature bouzouk, and is a great example of "oriental" jazz. Nafs El Shaghli brings us more oriental jazz, but this time accented with the beautiful voices of Monica and Sami Hawat. The oddball Yalla Kichou Barra, unmistakably Ziad Rahbani, invites the electric guitar and oriental percussion in. Ma Tfil is a lighter track, with uplifting strings, and again sung by Sami Hawat, although the chorus creates does a great job setting the ambiance. The album then shifts into a more bossa nova-style mood with an instrumental piece, Bil nisbi La Boukra Shou?, interestingly joined by a kawala. Bisaraha is the notorious song Ziad wrote about his relationship with now ex-wife Dalal Karam, and he is joined again by Sami Hawat on vocals. Bain El Khamsa Wel Sab'a is another relaxed instrumental piece. Rouh Khabbir is a mellow cover of The Crusaders' Soul Shadows, and fits perfectly in the album. Monica lends her voice to another, more upbeat instrumental in Min Kil Bid, and rounds up the album with a great ballad in Khalas. The rightly named Final, is a a hauntingly beautiful guitar interlude that closes the album.

Track List :

01. Bala Wala Shi
02. Hudou Nisbi (Relative Calm)
03. The Same (Nafs Esh-Shaghly)
04. Yalla Kichou Barra
05. Don't Go (Ma Tfil)
06. Bil Nisbi La Boukra
07. Bisaraha
08. 5 to 7 pm
09. Rouh khabbir
10. For sure
11. Khalas
12. Finale