Thuna'i Badr | Gharet Hob b/w Hob Ya Hob (Sono Cairo)

 

We've been listening to Arabic music for more than two-and-half decades and have heard thousands of songs, but we've literally never heard anything like the A-side ("Gharet Hob," or "Love Raid") of this one-two punch from Thuna'i Badr, or the Badr Duo. Think of an Arabic version of the Japanese twins The Peanuts, who sung the Mothra theme, and you're in the ballpark.

The two women who sing on this record have what sounds to our ears like exactly the same voice. We weren't sure it wasn't one woman double-tracked the first time we listened. And there's no real harmony as such. But the effect it creates is just stunning. Syrian-Egyptian composer Mohamed Diya' al-Din's score is simple yet breathtaking.

Plus, this is, to the best of our knowledge, a song titled "Love Raid." The lyrics include plenty of "Boom! Boom! Boom, boom, boom!" -- which we assume to be love bombs raining down & exploding on the love object. Is there some other explanation for what's going on here?

We couldn't find anything about Thuna'i Badr online anywhere, and Discogs only lists two singles, the one we're sharing today and "Nazrat Li," or "Look At Me." Were they twins? 

Our copy of this 45 isn't in the greatest shape. There's more surface noise than we like. But we couldn't not share it with you. For reasons that will be obvious when you give it a listen.

(Listen to "Gharet Hob")

(Listen to "Hob Ya Hob")