Ya Ana Ya La (Me or no one
else) is an album by
Amr Diab, the reigning star of Egyptian pop, that has been
at the top of the charts since its release at end of December last year. Having
secured himself an enduring position on the Arabic music scene with his debut
megahit Habibi Ya Nour El Ayn (My love, light of my eyes) in 1996, Diab has
since released countless, successful recordings and videos.
اضافة اعلان
Supported by top quality
technical audio production and musicians, his good looks and strong presence, a
smooth voice, and his undeniable singing skills, Diab has also smartly
integrated another, special ingredient to the recipe to making great music: the
sound of the nylon-stringed Spanish guitar combined with flamenco rhythms.
This, among others, has become
one of his trademarks. Though other Egyptian and Lebanese pop singers have been
“inspired” to do the same after him, Diab was truly the first to add the catchy
Spanish guitar and dance patterns to his Arabic songs. Listen closely to some
of the French group Gipsy Kings’ early songs and you will certainly note the
similarity.
The new album does not use this
trait as much as the previous ones, and certainly less than the equally if not
more successful preceding album Sahran that was released earlier in 2020 too,
but the spirit is still here, without a doubt.
The opening title track is a
fast dance piece, a hybrid between Arabic and Western rhythms. Mahsoud follows
with the above-mentioned flamenco flavor and distinctive beat, while Shokran
(Thank you) is more of a traditional Oriental dance song that includes the
unavoidable hand-clapping accompaniment — not necessarily a bad thing; a very
effective one actually.
Ayez Aamel Zayak (I want to do
as you do) brings a nice change in the sonic atmosphere. Its slow tempo is
relaxing. The song features vocal harmonies (third intervals on the scale) that
are not usually found in Arabic music. Tabl (Drum) does just what its title
says; this is the typical drumming dancing beat that makes it impossible for
the listener to remain seated if the volume is pushed just a little up and you
are in the right mood. It can even put you in a good mood if you are not
already. An authentic wedding party staple.
The most attractive melodies are
found in Bethazr (Are you kidding me) and Wana Maak (when I am with you). Two
numbers that particularly enhance the beauty of Diab’s pop crooner voice. By
traditional Arabic music standards, the chord changes are sophisticated,
daring, and avant-garde, at least compared to the other tracks that are more conservative
in terms of musical composition form.
Ya Dalaao contains phrases that
are built on the pentatonic musical scale, the structure of which conjures up
the sound of the typical ancient Chinese and Japanese music. This brings a
subtle variety, an interesting change to the set of twelve songs that make the
album.
The lyrics, like those of 80
percent of pop songs in the world, regardless of the language, speak of love —
business as usual, in other words. In Ya Ana Ya La they are even about
demanding exclusive love, whereas in Ya Dalaao they talk of simple infatuation,
of love at first sight. Other songs are about learning how to turn the page and
move on with your life after splitting (Ayez Aamel Zayak), or being grateful to
what life gives us (Shokran).
El Gaw Gameel (The weather is
fine) is a cheerful, light-hearted song, both in its sweet melody and in its
words.
Is Ya Ana Ya La an album that is
pleasant to play, to sing along with (some of the tracks at least) and to dance
to? Absolutely. Does it innovate in any way? Not much.
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