Matyoba & Nada | NO Black NO White (Sono Cairo, 1964?)

 

Our physical copy is a later pressing and does not include the original cover, above, taken from the Discogs listing

"NO Black NO White b/w Ana Want Wahid (You and I Are One)" is, simply put, one of the most incredible artifacts we've ever had the good fortune run across. Released sometime between 1963 and 1967, the two related tracks (or versions) were composed by Mohamed Diya' al-Din, who wrote for and sang songs with his wife, Nada; the Syrian couple moved to Egypt in 1958 and performed for many years as a duo, Diya' and Nada.

This record, which instead of Diya' features the voice of Motyaba singing with Nada, seems like a response to the civil rights movement and ongoing unrest in 1960s USA, given that it is sung in English. But it is not like racism did not exist (or still exists) in Egypt. It is, perhaps, telling that we can find nothing else about Motyaba online anywhere, other than a YouTube video of the song, which has fewer than 500 views and two brief comments, one from the video's poster.

A note on Discogs describes the record as "Love across borders! Mambo mixed with oriental rhythms. From 1964." We wonder about "mambo." The music sounds much closer to our ears to something theatrical, not too far off from a duo you might hear in a Bimal Roy film of the 1950s. Whatever the case, it doesn't really sound quite like anything we've ever heard. A breathtaking piece of history.

(Listen to "NO Black NO White")

(Listen to "Ana Want Wahid")