Kaoutar Nihad "Nta Li Bghit" Arabs In New York

UPDATED:

Morocco is the country of a million singer and dancer, if you have been watching the entertainment channel of course. In fairness, most of the entertainers who come form Morocco are extremely talented. There's a certain energy singers from Morocco bring, they seem to be very educated and have hail from a great tradition.

A singer who I have yet to decide on is called Kaouthar Nihad, she is out with a new album she was singing in Rotana cafe in Morocco. The music video for her song was filmed mostly in New York in Central Park and Time Square. The two places I know like the back of my hand. The singer is boasting about an American director who shot the music video, I think my college roommate Carlos would have done a better job filming and editing this video.

The outdoors portion is pretty cool, when they crew films indoors, the quality sucks. As for the song, I like the beat I detect a Latin/Hispanic flavor. The lyrics are very Moroccan which in the past has been an upside. The singer might have a lot more to give than she is showing.

On the plus side, this is a complete artist in the sense she knows the song through and through, music lyrics and singing. This sheer fact makes Nihad unique and light years ahead of her peers. To her credit, the song below gets better once you play it few times.

Kaoutar NIHAD Nta Li Bghit Clip Official HD 2012 كوثر نهاد انت لي بغيت

Poor Man's Sha'abi Music Gets A Girl Star!

Whoever said that females cannot compete with almost excessively all male Sh'abi music? Well, these guys are in for a treat, because Heidi Al Baroudy is about to give them a good for their money. With her all girl music video where there's dance, a balady beat and rough around the edges lyrics.

I have one bone to pick, the outfits are not at all stylish, but this might be fitting for those who listen to this kind of music as they are almost never accused of being stylish. None of the dance moves are award winning of course. So if you do not like Egyptian pop, you will not start now with this song.

I think Heidi knows her market very well, and realizes that she is one of girl in an almost all dudes business, so she has to thread carefully. I like the fact that she exists and stands in tall and proud. I may not like this style, but it's not her fault--it's the game.

كليب هايدي البارودي - وبعدين وياك

Just Like Assad, Ali El Deek Won't Just Go Away

Ali El Deek made something rally cool he made folksy Syrian songs a mainstream thing throughout Arabia. There was relatively, nothing called the hip Syrian song, until Ali released his hit singles. But that was almost 8 years ago. But things have changed since then and Ali kept doing the same old beat with new lyrics.

Ali did not invent the folksy Syrian song, he only made it accessible, but as more people tuned in, less and less songs came out from this style. And soon enough most people have lost interest in this song as it started to feel tired.

And here we go again, we are in 2012 Syria is changing, but Ali has not. He has locked himself in this style and he can still do well in Syria at wedding and other local functions, but I do not see him do not a music festival. I do think his title is creative the youth will appreciate it.
  
Ali El Deek - Say3in w Day3in

With Reham Helmy, Egyptian Pop Keeps Trying

Good pop songs are not easy to make, a decent pop song has to be happy with upbeat music and clever and catchy lyrics. Throwaway pop ain't hard to make, just ask Egyptian pop star Reham Helmy, the new fame of girly pop. Reham has made a song for the ladies and girls out there, they would relate to it and better understand it.

Guys do not have much emotions or at least try not to understand things women talk about. For those, here's the song by Rehamd Helmy to give them a taste of what goes inside the mind of one girl. She just made a not so whiny song, that heart and a fine music. Vocally, I think Reham can do better as she is not letting herself break free in that department.   

Reham Helmy - Hanssah / ريهام حلمي - هانساه

Salah Kurdi And The Sexy Piano Moment

Wael Jassar, Fadel Shaker, Saad Ramadan Saber El Robaei, Reda, and a dozen other Lebanese singers do the same song that Salah Kurdi just released about the places where he used to frequent with now his ex. The lyrcis are good and the Lebanese dialect works for this song.

He is talking about the past and his regrets...he is the one left alone. We need to get a new mantra in the Arab world, there's always another fish in the sea, so stop the whinging and get out there. The song won;t fix anything, in reality it might make you feel worse of.

 I do not think this is a music video that will win awards. It was filmed here in the states (Flordia and New Yorkj) As a vocal performance, Salah Kurdi has all the right tools. He is an accomplished composer who is dabbling into singing after his work has made many famous. Elissa, Adam, Saber El Robaei, Ayman Zabib and Saad Ramadan have all taken songs from Salah.

Salah Kurdi - Nafs El MaTareh / صلاح كردي - نفس المطارح

The Lebanese Dalida And Her Magic Ring

Let's get one thing off my chest, Dalida is a good looking lady. She does have a a good enough voice to carry a pop song, and her music video is pretty cool if you ask me. I like the funky and bright colors it has. I love the TV bars affect and the way the music video came together.

I do not love the song, but I am fine with it. Many comments on the video come from chauvinistic pigs who are calling this clip soft core porn. I beg to differ. This is a Lebanese singer who is doing a song in the Gulf Dialect and thus she tends to get gigs to perform in concerts in places like Kuwait.  

 Dalida - Khatem Sehry / داليدا - خاتم سحري

I Love When Stars Fake It By Acting Surprised

Egyptian singer who looks like a club bouncer Khaled Selim and Sarah they girl that seems to never quit were guests of Tratata, a talk show that brings a pair of Arab entertainers and have them sing in duets and talk about their work.

I like both stars, but I did not like the fake look at least Sarah had when she was asked to sing something in English, this was not just a moment that came out of the blue....they always talk about these things ahead of time.

Again, both stars have stellar voices that which made them a great couple to do a cover of the all too famous Whitney Houston song "I Will Always Love You

Khaled Selim & Sarah I WILL ALWAYS LOVE U/خالد سليم وساره الهاني

Men 2idy 2012 The Bad Nay 2012 / نايا - من ايدي HQ

Naya makes good pop songs, but with one problem. Her manager is a schmuck, a jerk and classless bastard. Why? He is using Naya's talent to get back at his wife and he has always made that clear. Naya is a tented star and she need a ruthless manger to help get her gigs and songs. What Naya does not need is to get caught in a family feud.

She is a star on her own not a younger version of Nawal Al Zoghby, the divorcee of Naya's manger who I won't mention his name. Naya has a sweet voice that makes her a great candidate for breakup pop songs, but her latest do not seems o live up to Naya's earlier work (check out tizkar).

Men Eidy is a pop song made for clubs, you cannot do a sad song to a party music, it just takes away from the fine crafted lyrics. It's what it's a good song with loud music
Naya - Men 2idy 2012 / نايا - من ايدي HQ

When Wael Kfoury Was Cool Not Pathetic

Remember the 90s? If your answer is Yes, then you will know a cool kid from that not so distant past...Wael Kfoury was the invincible kid of Arabic pop. He was everywhere and he was the guy to listen to from Morocco to Dubai from Syria to Sudan he was on every radio. And we loved him for it because his songs made us happy.

But do you remember a happy and dancey Wael Kfoury hit song in the past 10 years? I do not think that would be easy. He has cornered himself in doing lame romantic songs--some of them are good. But such songs have turned Wael the cool happy singer with passion into a zombie whose fans are limited to older women nostalgic to better times.

He has not released an album in a really long time, and he has found trouble finding a company that wants his album--maybe he asks for too much money. I miss the cool Wael who did happy songs and sounded like a fighter in the ring seeking glory. Wael does not talk to the media and his bodyguards rough up photographers in concerts and there's a talk about his non-secret secret marriage.

the song below was one of his better known songs when every concert and party in Arabia played it at weddings, guys and girls found it a hit. It's not too late for Wael Kfoury to make a song of this magnitude, I just do not feel that he wants to anymore.
وائل كفوري - ما وعدتك بنجوم الليل

Two Forgettable Songs For Your Viewing Displeasure

What do you do when you have the looks and your hear your mommy telling you that you should start singing? I do not know, but lately it seems that at least one company in Egypt will work with you and make you a music video shot in one of the private villas owned by the company's founder Richard El Hajj

I come bearing two songs that are so karaoke like and tell a very expired love story. The music videos below will make the state of Wisconsin jealous of the amount of cheese featured. In fairness the songs are fun for exactly five seconds and then it all goes away.

Again, I think Ahmed Galal is working for his money and really wants the fame, the other guy is misguided and thinks by playing prince charming he will get a contract. Galal might be a fun opening act, he seems like a cool dude to have a coffee with--an iced coffee. He just need not to wear any of his flashy clothes

Motayam - Malak / متيم - ملاك


Ahmed Galal - Warrina Dehketak / أحمد جلال - ورينا ضحكتك

Safy, When Pop Disappoints And A Song Goes Unnoticed

Pop music is supposed to be fun, and not unintentional funny. I could not stop myself from laughing at the music video for this mediocre song by Safy. No surprise that Safy is not a name that most know. The concept of the music video--if you want to call it that is shitty.

 Farmers dancing in the bushes in laughable outfits and there are cowboys and weird dancers. Camels, trucks and poor dance moves. It does feel awkward watching the clip, as I do not like to be mean, but this one makes it so easy to be so. Fame is a bitch if you have to do something that you do not feel right about. Safy might not be a pop star, but she seems like a nice person.

 Safy - Leil Wara Leil / صافي - ليل ورا ليل

Another sub-par music video and song from Safy, it's catchier than the first one. It feels like it has been directed under the same ideas of the first music video but with a new look.
Safy - Kaddab Zamano / صافي - كداب زمانه

One More Shitty Egyptian Song Won't Hurt

I do not know who Amgad Omar is, but other than his name, I think he mostly sucks. Neither his voice nor his personality entertain. So why bother and release a music video that feels a lot like torture? While I like pop music, there has to be a threshold singers ought to have. 

Amgad got nothing and his song disappoints. But to be disappointed in hims is not accurate. Because it implies that one had high expectations for the young star, when we really did not. Now the guy is young, good looking and can dance, so I would say modeling/ adverting maybe?

I am not the one to hate--only if you are Tamer Hosny, but this one was just a terrible song all around.

. Amgad Omar - Arrabny Mennak / أمجد عمر - قربني منك

Do We Really Need Saber El Robaey?

Saber was cool for a second in 2000 and then cool again in 2003, but then he not done anything fresh in almost a decade. He is a Tunisian star who has done little for his home country, he lives and works in Lebanon. And now since he has stayed mum on the Arab Spring, he is back speaking up about politics, but in the overtime.

I do not really know what he brings to the pop game anymore? I just cannot connect with his new stuff and feel his voice seems tired. What might be helpful for Saber is not volumes, but quality. I do not think he has found anything that would make him a star again.

watch his presser and interview talking about his concert in Lebanon. I do think he is overrated, but not because he is not talented, but rather because he has yet to challenge himself once again.
صابر الرباعي: ما يحصل في تونس ليس من أهداف الثورة

Emy And Teen "Glee" Pop In "Anany Awy"

Maybe Glee and the remake of Footloose are changing the dance and singing music forever. But when I watch a clip like the one below, I wonder who on their right mind would authorize, and release such low grade pop song?

Where have all those pop stars gone? I cannot believe I will miss them, but I am. I cannot take the average. I do not know, if any teen readers who read the blog, can give me their take. I really like to know if there's value in the music below. At least pop does not promise much, it just wants to make you happy for a minute.

Just like all the young stars out there, I'm for all things new, and I do wish her well in her future plans. The song is titled "very selfish" as that's how her boy is acting. In addition to having a terrible song, the music video is laughable.

Emy - Anany Awy / إيمي - أناني قوي

Remember Helmy Abdelbaky? You Weren't On Facebook Then!

We have a guy from the 90s who is coming back to entertain us at those difficult times. He did have about three great songs about heartbreaks and breakups. He does have that really heart broken voice which allowed him to do what some might call lame songs.

Say what you say, you have a new dose for Helmy Abdelbaky, the tall guy who seems to always find the wrong girl to love. In his music video he does the same story about a hundred other Arabic music video have already done. He is a photographer whose work builds up a star and then when she makes it, she leaves him to his sorrow in a dark room.

And then things change and she wants him back....he walks away....what a gentleman. But wait, there's a twist, he did give his eyes to save her eyesight. She needed to see after the surgery...and he gave his eyes. But then she loves another guy...until she sees him and learns the tale. I do like the end that might be cheesy, but it's original.

Helmy Abdelbaky - Asa'ab Tariq / حلمي عبدالباقي - أصعب طريق

Pyramedia: Seham Omar - Ezzay Ya'ny / سهام عمر - إزاي يعني

Pyramedia produces music in Egypt, but it seems to be only working with new comers to the game. Freshman stars enjoy working with Pyramedia that takes a chance on them. But if those make it big, I do not think they sit around and stick with Pyramedia. This might be a good business model as the stars tend to be inexpensive when they are new, but once they hit the big times, they want more.

So that's why we get to hear and see singers like Sehma Omar who has a new music video out. This teen singer who seems to like to do what other teens do is dancing and singing for your entertainment. This clip is taken form all other teen shows, something that seems natural to Seham, cars, kittens, boxing, gym...etc.

The song has turned into a fashion show, I could count at least seven outfits. This song might be a great hit with the youth., I found parts of it to be Yawn-worthy.
Seham Omar - Ezzay Ya'ny / سهام عمر - إزاي يعني

Ehab Tawfik's Song That Made Arabia Dance!!

Ask any Arabs girl older than 24 years of age, she will tell you she has danced to this song! Man the good old days when Ihab was making good dance filled music, we loved him then. He was a household name, and he had a cool factor even though he was not that even good looking. His music made you good looking by making you dance.

Here's another thing about him, Ehab was a lonely child. His first single came in 1989, and first album came in 1990. Top point of his career was in 2002 when he performed in front of 50 thousand concert goers to raise money for Iraq during the American invasion. Other random facts  about him is collaboration with the band outlandish on a track.

In 2007 he switched to more religious songs, and he earned few fans doing this kind of songs, then he started doing more of these songs and less of the pop dance songs. Ehab did have many fans in the 90s both mena dn women. Women liked his dance songs, and so did the guys. The guys loved his hearbreaking songs about being passed over by the one girl he has always loved. Thanks to his warm voice, good lyrcis and his collaboration with hottest composers in town.

اللي مدوبني

If You Are High, You Will LOVE This Zombie Song

Belly dancers are a dime a dozen in Egypt, good looking ones do not come cheap. That's whay C list singer Mohamed Abdal Mone'm just realized when he hired one to dance in his music video and entertain you as he tried to make the case that he is a legit singer.

Filmed in a small studio and a green room with a thousand t-shirt. Abd El Monaem brough his big role model Sad El Soghayar to guest in the music video. The dancer's name is Sofinar and she seems to be auditioning for a movie role playing cute, naked and awkward sexy. And what's up with those zombie/mummy worthy dance moves?

This is not a horrible video, I have seen much worse, but it;s no classic either. It serves one purpose tell us that the singer is worth a lot of money now--think rappers with bling and fancy cars. Thus if you plan on booking this singer for your wedding party, he might ask for some change.

Mohamed Abdal Mon'em - We Rabena / محمد عبد المنعم - وربنا المعبود

Do Good Looking People Make Karaoke Better?

For a Lebanese singer to book an in house studio that feels like an upbeat nightclub, it's not too hard. But for him to try doing a song in that mighty 90 million strong Egyptian dialect, it might take some brains. Many of us know new comer Sa'd Ramadan can sing as he has got that muse aided by his naturally sad honey laced voice.

And yes he is also good looking. I am a fan of his, but I do not think he needed to go hire some non-Arab dancers or Arab ones to make him look cool. If anything it shows his insecurities and his lack of class. Keep on mind, his biggest fans are women not dudes. It's good song for a pop song, and as you can tell in studio fans are thrilled.

Sa'd Ramadan - Ah Men Hal Layaly / سعد رمضان - آه من هالليالي

One More Shitty Lebanese Pop Song Won't Hurt

Lebanon, the land of beauty knows how to party. That's why Arabs and singers go there often. The reality is this, many Arab singers call Lebanon home--just the city of Beirut though. So, anyone who is Lebanese, enjoys a great deal of look, a mediocre voice, and some connection of some sort, they try to make a music video.

The music video makes it big, that person is a star. The music video fails, then that person can get married based on their 15 minutes of fame. That's the impression I got when I heard the song of Tamara  in Sodfa. It's not even entertaining for a pop song at least for me.

Tamara will do well in other careers, it's just too competitive at the moment for pop stars, plus we are all distracted at the moment, you either. The music video is mostly filmed at the local gyms with thr studs flirting and winking at our beloved singer.  Then he asked her to marry him, she gets shy. In reality she would tell him to buzz off.

Tamara - Sodfa / تمارا - صدفه