Mohamed Rushdi | Ah Ya Hawa (Sono Cairo, 1970)

 

Of all the great Egyptian singers unfairly ignored by much of the rest of the world, the most egregious example just might be Mohamed Rushdi. 

Eclipsed by musiqa al-turath legends Abdel Halim Hafez, Farid El Atrache, and Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Rushdi's repertoire was nonetheless nuanced and complex, with a vocal style and timbre that suggested an earthiness perhaps lacking in other "high-art" singers. (Sha'abi superstar Ahmed Adaweya cited Rushdi, who passed away in 2005, as one of his three primary influences.)

We have a dozen or so singles and a couple of LPs by the singer, and when we sat down this morning to decide which we should share first, Ah Ya Hawa from 1970 just slightly edged out the competition. We love, for instance, the sweet tone of the guitar that opens the track; but the whole thing is just an incredible slowly weaving burn -- it has an almost ethereal quality that buoys the singer's aforementioned feet-on-the-ground delivery.

It's a gobsmacking record. Take a listen and see if you don't agree. 

(Listen to "Ah Ya Hawa")