Abdel Fattah Rashed | Sitt al-Arayes (Sono Cairo, Moriphon)

Today's Sono Cairo + Moriphon coproduction features the only Discogs-catalogued recording by Egyptian composer and singer, Abdel Fatah Rashed. Born in Faiyum, just south of Cairo, in 1927, Rashed studied at the Higher Institute of Arab Music, graduating in 1948. 

He subsequently composed numerous songs for himself and other artists, some of them for films. (Arabic Wikipedia seems to suggest that he recorded "hundreds" of records, which seems curious, given that only one -- this one, coincidentally -- seems to have wound up on Discogs.

This 45, which we believe might be "Six Brides," might have something to do with the film, "Three Grooms," although the film was released in 1948, and this recording is clearly a much later release.

It's a terrific record, with a bit of back and forth between our singer-composer and a female chorus. Give it a listen and let us know what you think.

(Listen to "Sitt al-Arayes")