Released: 02/12/22
The legendary Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez is perhaps best-known for being sampled by Jay-Z on his track "Big Pimpin’”, which took from Hafez’s 60s track "Khusara Khusara" (featuring percussionist Hossam Ramzy). It’s a dubious accolade indeed, and so with the reissue of the incredible 1971 live album Mawood (featuring remastered audio and a new introduction by Mario Choueiry) for the first time in decades, the hope is that Hafez will finally receive the wider recognition he deserves.
A cornerstone of Egyptian culture, Mawood captures Hafez at the height of his powers. Featuring a full orchestra, and the virtuosic Omar Khorshid on guitar, Hafez's mixing of traditional Arabic music with modern instrumentation, so that notes of 70s avant-funk, reminiscent of David Axelrod, or Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson, ebb and flow into the predominantly Egyptian sound, helps to make Mawood a true sui generis classic.