For today, I wanted to share with you “المعمل” (“Al Ma3mal“, that can be translated by “The Workshop“), a beautiful deep bewitching Middle-Eastern Soul Jazz track with mesmerizing voices, taken from the album “هدوء نسبي” (“Houdou Nisbi“, that can be translated by “Relative Calm“) recorded in 1985 by the mythical Lebanese composer Ziad Rahbani (زياد الرحباني), and privately released on a now ultra hard to find tape the same year.

This album includes some of the finest musicians of that era, such :

Ziad Rahbani : Composition, Sound Engineer, Bouzouki, Electric Piano, Synth ;

Toufic Farroukh : Flute, Tenor Saxophone ;

Abboud Saadi : Bass, Acoustic Guitar ;

Michel Assaad : Trombone ;

Elie Menassa : Trumpet, Flugelhorn ;

Paul Dawani : Electric Guitar ;

Samir Rafraf : Congas, Drums ;

Walid Tawil : Drums ;

Samir Chabchab : Guitar ;

This tape was repressed again in K7 format again in 1991 and CD in 1995 (both with a different cover than this one), but without the track presented here, which is one my favorite of that legendary album, one of the Lebanese musical holy grails – Hope you’ll like it, enjoy !

Ziad Rahbani – Al Ma3mal (Lebanon, 1985, By-Pass Production) // زياد الرحباني – المعمل 

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/dC33gobkYfo

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Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

Following this previous article, I wanted to share with you for today “غيفارا غزة” (“Ghfyara Ghaza“, pun for “Che Guevara from Gaza” in tribute to Gaza’s resistance fighters in Palestine), a melancholic bewitching Middle-Eastern Soul Jazz track with Brazilian influences a la Arthur Verocai & beautiful flute parts, taken from the first album of the Lebanese band “Ferkat Al Ard” (فرقة الأرض) leaded by the guitar player Issam Hajali (عصام الحاج علي) and composed with :

Issam Hajali (عصام الحاج علي) : Vocals, Guitar ;

Toufic Farroukh (توفيق فرّوخ) : Flute, Saxophone ;

Elie Saba (ايليا سابا) : Bouzouki, Oud ;

This album, arranged by the legendary Lebanese composer, musician & producer Ziad Rahbani (زياد الرحباني) & produced by the Lebanese-Armenian producer Khatchik Mardirian (co-founder with Ziad Rahbani of the mythical 70s Lebanese record label “Zida“) is considered by many as one of the hardest to find holygrail Lebanese vinyl record album ever out.

This album as been reissued in 2022 by the German record label Habibi Funk but without this track, so now it’s available widely.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦-𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘳 & 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱.

Ferkat Al Ard – Ghfyara Ghaza / فرقة الأرض – غيفارا غزة (Lebanon, 1979, Zida)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/BlHpQlps1CY Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/ Have a nice Wednesday, see you on next Sunday for another musical (re)discovery ! Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “Stand Up“, an outstanding instant catchy Rock Soul Jazz track with mesmerizing synth & solo guitar parts, taken from the 1st album of the cult Lebanese band “Force“, self-released in 1984 by the band on K7 format only & distributed in very limited quantities.

Recorded & engineered at the legendary “By-Pass Studio” in Beyrouth by Bernard Karam & the mythical composer & musician Ziad Rahbani during the civil war, the band included :

Lead Guitar, Vocals : Walid Itayem ;

Bass, Vocals, Backing Vocals : Abboud Al Saadi ;

Drums, Vocals : Emile Boustani ;

Guitar : Kevork Missirian ;

Were also involved in the recording session :

– Keyboards : Ziad Rahbani ;

– Backing Vocals : Monica Assly ;

The lyrics of that track, composed 40 years ago during the Lebanese civil war, couldn’t sound more relevant than today :

« There’s a jungle living outside my door, and I’m part of it ».

Extremely hard to find nowadays, one of the Lebanese musical holy grails, hope you like it – Enjoy !

Force – Stand Up (Lebanon, 1984, Force Self-Released)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/IAYtNZzgjwM

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you on next Wednesday for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

Following this previous article, I wanted to share with you for today “Weqtach Tef’Hem“, a mesmerizing deep catchy Oriental Soul Jazz Funk track with beautiful psychedelic Fender Rhodes parts, taken from the second album recorded in 1977 by Younes & Mahmoud Megri from the band “Les Freres Megri“, a Moroccan rock band formed in Oujda (Morocco).

The band consisted of four members, popular session musicians, composers and producers : three brothers : Hassan, Mahmoud and Younes Megri, and their sister Jalila Megri.

The album presented here is the original moroccan “Boussiphone” press, label founded by the Moroccan producer Mohamed Boussif and that is way rarer than the French release on “Les Artistes Arabes Associés“.

Cherry on the cake : it’s dedicated by Mahmoud Megri himself – Enjoy !

Les Frères Mégri – Weqtach Tef’Hem (Morocco, 1977, Boussiphone)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/gksf74MT59k

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Wednesday, see you on next Sunday for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “Paris Dans Mon Sac“, an incredibly beautiful Soul Jazz ballad sung in French with Oriental flavors, recorded in 1965 by the Algerian singer & actress Fatima Zohra Badji (better known as “Noura”) on the French record label “Pathé“.

This song is backed by a beautiful orchestration by Larbi Zeggane (Kamal Hamadi on his artist’s name), a Kabyle Algerian songwriter and composer who was also Noura’s husband, and Roland Richard Vincent.

Cherry on the cake : this gorgeous cover art – Enjoy !

Noura (Fatima Zohra Badji) – Paris Dans Mon Sac (Algeria, 1965, Pathé)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/trSMMDF7VQo

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Wednesday, see you on next Sunday for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “نحن ساهرون” (“Nahnou Sahiroun” or “We Are Awake” in Arabic langage), a splendid Middle-Eastern Spiritual Jazz Soul Funk track with gorgeous chorus & beautiful piano parts, taken from an album of Christian songs recorded in 1977 by the legendary Lebanese composers & musicians Ziad Rahbani & Bechara Khoury (زياد الرحباني و بشارة الخوري) at the Mar Elias church of Antelias (“أنطلياس” in Arabic, a city in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, located around 5 km to the north of the capital Beirut).

The chorus on this record is composed with the marvelous voices of the Broummana Oecumenical Choir (جوقة برمانا المسكونية) and the Youth Chorus Of Antelias (جوقة شباب انطلياس), and conducted by Mesrob Berejikan (مسروب بيره جيكيان).

Cherry on the cake of this Lebanese musical holy grail this gorgeous artwork by Paul Guiragossian – Enjoy !

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦-𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘳 & 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳.

نحن ساهرون – زياد الرحباني و بشارة الخوري

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/PnLOSM05TG4

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Wednesday, see you on next Sunday for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “Nouné“, a killer uptempo Psychedelic 70s Jerk Mod Soul Breakbeat track, taken from the 1st album of the Armenian Lebanese composer & musician Adiss Harmandyan (“Ատիս Հարմանտեան“, in Armenian langage) recorded in 1971 on the legendary Armenian Lebanese record label “Voice Of Stars” – Enjoy !

Adiss Harmandyan – Nouné (Armenia, 1971, Voice Of Stars)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/NDCHwINBO9E

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Wednesday, see you on next Sunday for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau