Zach Top Une Voix M'appelle: Voix De L’orient 67-84 V.1 [VINYL]

Those profiled include Egyptian guitarist Omar Khorshid, maverick producer/arranger/composer Elias Rahbani, mysterious talents like Nicolas Dick and Robert Maalouf and the father of the label’s founder, Abdallah Chahine, a pianist of immense talent. As told in detailed liner notes by DJ, music researcher and legacy-keeper Ernesto Chahoud and Natalie Shooter, this period of Lebanese music formed the soundtrack to the city of Beirut during its multiple transformations, from its 1950s to 1960s heyday as ‘the Switzerland of the Orient’ through to the mid 1970s and 1980s, when it soundtracked the tragic days of the Lebanese Civil War. From Chahoud’s liner notes: “I spent years going through thousands of titles from one of the largest catalog of Lebanese and Arabic music, by one of the earliest labels in the Arab world, Voix De L’Orient, to handpick the 12 songs that represent a survey into this momentous catalog.The Lebanese musical experiment, stretching almost seven decades, has offered one of the most complex and fully fledged modern Oriental scenes of the Arab world. These 12 songs were released in different periods and embody a wide range of musical ideas from the most adventurous on the Voix De L’Orient label, those musicians that played major roles in the renaissance of ancient musical traditions. So, from the ’60s and ’70s, you’ll hear Adballah Chahine improvising on Oriental scales on a custom-made piano that he developed in order to play quarter tones; you’ll engage the radical approach to folkloric music from the legendary Iraqi composer and oud player Munir Bechir; you’ll enjoy the timeless blend of Occidental and Oriental forms as fused by the genius Elias Rahbani. The songs by Georgette Sayegh, Adib Abou Antoun and Robert Maalouf give a sense of Lebanon’s unique ’70s and ’80s pop sounds.You might think that this music comes from a foreign, faraway culture, and I suppose it does, for some, but this music is close to us all. This anthology is presented 100 percent free of cultural appropriation. This album is a genuine attempt to escape the ephemeral aspect of everyday, fast music fashions. This album is absolute beauty to play out loud, while waiting for the second volume to come.”