Natacha Atlas & the Marzeeka Ensemble
Ana Hina
World Village

Let's talk perfection here for a moment. Natacha Atlas could record an a cappella rendering of the Wasilla, Alaska telephone directory and you'd want to own a copy. The voice of the Belgian-born Atlas is that good. Here, with the Marzeeka Ensemble, she has achieved a balanced and satisfying collection of Arabic-styled retropop songs. The album has the flow of a well-told story, with each song showcasing Atlas's acclaimed vocals. Atlas and her backing ensemble will leave you with a new appreciation for the style of Arabic popular song recorded decades ago.

Ana Hina culls from the catalog of Lebanese singer Fairuz and the Rahbani brothers, her frequent composers. It includes the opening cover of "Ya Laure Hobouki" ("Oh, Laura, my love to you")and later "La Shou El Haki" ("Why the need to talk")and "La Feetab Alayi" ("Don't blame me"). Add in a pair of songs recorded by Abdul Halim Hafez, "Beny Ou Benak Eih" ("What's between me and you? I wish you'd tell me.") and "El Asil" ("Sunset"), and you will know for certain that Atlas has benefited from her time in Cairo immersed in Arabic music and culture. She would have a winner with only this material, but her other selections for Ana Hina are equally imaginative. An arrangement by Harvey Brough based on a Nina Simone solo piano version of the Appalachian folk song "Black Is the Colour" finds a perfect home here, as does "La Vida Callada" ("The unspoken life"), a poem from the diary of Frida Kahlo sung by the gorgeous voice of Clara Sanabras, who weaves her vocal threads with Atlas's. There is more to hear and you should hear it all.

The Marzeeka Ensemble is a huge part of the Ana Hina milestone. Harvey Brough has already been mentioned. The accordion of Gamal Al Kordy is as tasteful as you will ever hear and blends with the rest of the crew for phenomenal results. Fairuz herself would have been impressed by the strings of Peter Hanson (violin), Everton Nelson (violin), Julian Ferraretto (violin), Bruce White (viola), and Ian Burdge (cello). Roy Dodds (percussion), Aly el Minyawa (percussion, backing vocals), Andy Hamill (bass), Clara Sanabras (baroque guitar, guitar, and oud in addition to vocals), and the brass of Dave Prisemen (flugelhorn, trumpet) and Julian Siegel (tenor saxophone, clarinet, soprano saxophone) and Antonio Gil Martinez (backing vocals on "La Vida Callada") complete the ensemble. - Richard Dorsett CD available from cdRoots

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