My CD Review of Adonis "Daw L Baladiyyi"

Here is my CD Review of the album "Daw L Baladiyyi" by the Lebanese group Adonis.  Review is also at http://zookeeper.stanford.edu/index.php?session=&action=findAlbum&n=1006816




Adonis / Daw L Baladiyyi
Album:Daw L Baladiyyi Collection:World
Artist:Adonis Added:05/2012
Label:Forward Music 

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Album Review by Ramzi Salti, Ph.D.
Ramzi S.
Reviewed 2012-05-03 
-- All Tracks are FCC CLEAN –
This album is the result of over a year of collaboration between the Lebanese boy-band Adonis and a dozen of Beirut's best known musicians and artists. The CD features a selection of 11 original tracks, all sung in Arabic, creating a melange of spirited tunes, provocative lyrics, innovative arrangements, nonsensical monologues, schizophrenic transitions, cheesy love songs, and instantly likeable beats.  The band's first single, 'Daw L Baladiyyi', (the title track) was released in March 2011 and this CD followed in 2012. This is the first CD by Adonis.

**1. Ajnabiyyi (Foreign Girl) Accordeon sound, likeable beat about a Lebanese guy in love with a foreign girl who doesn’t speak Arabic. 3:18
2. “Stouh Adonis” (Rooftops of Adonis). Oriental beat, drum (derbakah) swaying music gives way to piano and drums and vocals about life on rooftops. 4:42
**3. “Daw L Baladiyyi” (Town Light) First single from this album, released in 2011 with a great video clip. About love under the streetlights. 2:29
4. “Sawt L Madini” (City Sounds) Ballad, piano, sad vocals, reminiscing about a lost love 3:12
5. “Ma Kan Mafroud” (It Wasn’t Supposed To Be)..Instantly likeable tune, beat builds up slowly, drums and percussion sounds prevail. Female singer in middle of song enriches the vocals 3:21
6. “Aman Aman” (Chant)..Haunting song, slowest on CD, starts out with harp, then goes into a lamentation/mawwal in traditional Arabic style 3:21
7. “Chajret el Jararank” (Loquat Tree). Sad tune about a moonless night changes mid-way into a rhythmic segment then back to ballad. Jarring jump in styles., 3:33
8. “Awaat” (At Times). Ballad, slow, orchestra sound, great piano and violin sounds, grand melody. 3:45
**9. “Chbabik” (Windows) A song about windows of the past that hide secrets, slow to mid-tempo, finger snapping sounds, typical of Adonis style.3:00
10.“Ma Endi Fekra” (I Have No Idea) The singer complains that he has no idea what to sing about, nice beat, mid-tempo turns faster after the first part and almost changes into a typical Arabic sound with a Dabke traditional beat then goes back to original flavor. 4:58

My picks: 1, 3, & 9 Ramzi Salti

Track Listing
1.Ajnabiyyi 6.Aman Aman
2.Stouh Adonis 7.Chajret El Jararank
3.Daw L Baladiyyi 8.Awaat
4.Sawt L Madini 9.Chbabik
5.Ma Kan Mafroud 10.Ma Endi Fekra

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