By Hanitizer

Since the year 2008 has been one of the better times in terms of Arabic music and great albums. I have decided to put together a comprehensive guide for all major albums releases during the year 2008. A number of Arab artists managed to make a comeback in 2008. Other artists went missing. New stars were born. Some faded a bit. And all in one year. I tried to get as many links as I can in order to give you an idea of the songs or the artist we are praising, roosting, or trashing. Enjoy...

Najwa Karam Najwa KaramThey have two monuments in Lebanon that rival each other in altitude: Mount Lebanon and Najwa Karam. The true heir of Lebanese legend Wadee'l Safi is Ms. Karam who enjoys a mountain-like voice (can you say Mariah Carey?). If I had a buck for every great song Najwa made, I would be living in my own private island. "Ta'a Khabeek", "'Am bamza'h Ma'ak", "Ma Bkhaby ‘Aleek" and pretty much the entire album connects you with this voice and binds your heart to hers in seconds. Did I also mention that the older she gets, the foxier she looks? Wisdom comes with age, which is especially true in her sense of what not to sing.

Ali El-HaggarAli ElHagar Haggar released his much anticipated new album entitled "Hawa We Adam." The fact that this album is El-Haggar's first album in five years (a real accomplishment for Arab Singers), is a true breath of fresh air in an already crowded and largely congested musical scene. In it, El-Haggar does two things to reveal his musical identity. He first forgets that he is or ever was Egyptian and then reminds everyone that he is Egyptian, and a proud one at that.

Mohamad MohieMohamed Mohie A third on our list, Mohie puts out his new album "Mazloom," a word which conveys the meaning of being wronged or hurt in a deep, personal way and which sets the tone for the entire album. The album is lavishly decorated with a wide arrangement of musical styles, incorporating everything from Rap, Pop, R&B and Rock in the mix. This colorful corsage of musical varieties in one record is definitely the album's greatest achievement when you stop to think about Mohie's self-chosen isolation for five years and his return to the musical stage with this hit CD. Sometimes, taking a sabbatical really pays off!

Amer MonibAmer Mounib Amer Moneeb, the Egyptian singer and occasional movie star released an album that no one saw coming entitled "Hazi Min El Sama." To be honest, I never thought much of Moneeb, but this album restored my faith in Egyptian music; its best chance in the plight forward is to look backward and to reconnect with it. For you to better understand my point, just listen to the song "Gait ‘Ala Bali" or watch the Feek Haga Video. Thumbs up Moneeb!



Mohamed FouadMohamed Fouad Here's a bit of personal insight: my brother Majid and I have absolutely nothing in common when it comes to music. But Fouad is the one exception to that bit of privileged information. The hit maker of the mid- and late 90's hasn't had much luck since the release of his somewhat-decent album in 2002. This time though, with the release of "Walah Nos Kelma" Fouad takes that much needed bold, but beautiful step. For starters, I am glad he took this album seriously and dropped some pounds to take some good promotional photos for the CD's cover. Watch his ""Taminiy 'Aleek"" song/concert to see his fan base.Ya Fouad: please don't stop now! You still have four or five good albums left in you, buddy!

Nancy AjramNancy Ajram The Arab world's hottest pop performer has reached a new level. She released her album "Bitfakir Fi Eih" with a chain of great songs that I can actually count on more than one hand. I have always liked some of her songs (you know, a song here on this album, a song there on that one) but this album just makes me like Nancy. An all-around true star, she aims higher and reaches new heights at a time when artists are a dime a dozen. Her "Betgy Sertak" is a proof that this gal can really sing. "Bitfakir fi Eih" introduces hard metal music to the Arab musical scene, while "Lamsit Eid" softly touches your heart on so many levels. "Ebin Eljiran" just serves as a reminder as to why we all love Nancy. Her recent wedding only prepares us to say Mabrook, Arabic for Congratulations (Side note: contrary to most Arab stars, Nancy did not marry a fitly rich business man)

Sea of the StarsSea of Stars A sound track of an Arabic movie financed by Pepsi about a small time promoter who wants to throw a concert with the biggest Arabic stars in order to save his business, the album features songs by Wael Kofori, Carol Semaha, Ahmad Shareef, Haifa, Rowida El Mahrouqi and others from among today's "best" singers. Overlooking how horrible the movie is, the soundtrack is not all that bad. I enjoyed "Jeet" by Carol Semaha, and Wael's song "Shu M'bakiki" but the bust tracks on the CD come from the up-and-coming Lebanese babe Brigit Yagy a former Super Star contender who has three songs on the soundtrack and to say the least, gives her audience the biggest bang for their Dinar. Try putting "Sybalak Albi" on your musical pipe and smoking it for a while.

Mohamad MounirMohamed Mounir A native from the south of Egypt's, Mounir is one Arab entertainer that was born to be an American Rock Star. A devoted Sufi, he is seen by many as more than just a singer, especially when fusing old and new musical varieties and breaking out of the love song pattern, into more religiously themed compositions. His previous album was a wonderful Sufi album. His "Taam El Beyout" album features songs in a flowery arrangement of different styles which creatively mixes Arabic with the southern language of Egypt's Aswan in his "Naygiri Beh" track. "Younes" is a creatively titled hit. But it's "Kan Fadel" and his remake of the treasured Algerian song "Tahit El Yassmina" that speak to me in so many ways.

ElissaElissa The Lebanese diva and my own personal sugar mama released an album in late 2007 entitled "Ayami beek" I must confess the following: Anything this gal sings, I would buy and listen to. Elissa's style is known to portray the vulnerable girl that will always love you for who you are and not for your potential. "Awakhir El Shity" is a nice attempt to break into a new territory of calmer lounge music, while "Khod Balak A'leeah" is a great song that reminds Arab men to be kinder to the women in their life. In short, Elissa is hot (especially when she wears shorts). One thing though: Elissa sounds good on CD, but I hear that her concerts are like a death march where she only stands on stage doing the model walk and singing playback. She might be uptight and too jealous of Amr Diab, but I will listen to her new albums and old ones. Rumor has it that she's about to announce her engagement. Elissa, Habibti please call me before you pull such a crazy stunt.

Nawal El ZogbiNawal El Zogbi Growing up, we all have those special artists we heard on the radio or saw on the t.v. and we all wish them the best. For me, Nawal was one of my special artists. Nawal's newest album "Albi Isalo" is perhaps the Middle East's bestselling album in 2008 and for good reasons. Nawal has always made good songs and she rarely misses with her choice of songs. This album is sure to be with us for a long time (and I mean a looong time), not only because of its vibrant style, but also because of its colorful musical arrangement. Crank up "Albi Isalo," "Shu Hal Alb," and "Tigy Menak" to get a better sense of the genius of this album. Nawal, I am sorry for your recent divorce and hope it won't stop you from making some quality hits. (Unfortunately, her husband still manages her career)

HaifaHaifa This girl made the cut only because of her ability to make an album with 12 tracks while pulling off all her business gigs and concerts in style. While I may never call myself a Haifa fan, I admire her as a business woman who is able to sing, party and make lots of money. Her album "Habib Ana" has a couple of catchy songs like "Mat'olsh la had." Simply put, Haifa is one of those women with little talent, but one who possesses a great sense of style and the looks to do really do well in the entertainment business. Good for her! In the end though, she will always be like the city of Haifa: beautiful, sunny and always showing a lot of skin.

Amr MostafaAmr Mostafa While composing many of the great and memorable hits of Amr Diab, Samira Said and the likes, this composer-turned-singer is capable of making good music, but not necessary for himself. "'Alama Fi Hayati" is the title of Mostafa's latest album, and while the album is far from the karaoke music style we can expect from Egyptian stars, the album doesn't really standout. "Awel Ma 'ool" is average song,""Mansash" is a good track through which one can really see the artist's soft side. Amr however, has an ego problem: he always likes to tout his musical genius. Perhaps his collaboration with international sound engineers (as he claims) helped reduce the odds of making another lame album.

LatifaLatifa Say whatever you want about Latifa, but the lady can sing! She has never ceases to amaze me and everyone who listens to her music. Yes, her previous album "Ma'lomat Mosh Akeeda" is a poor man's Fayrouz, but that is not her fault alone, but the Rahbany's. Her album "Fil Kam Youm illi Fatoo" translates to roughly "In the past few days" and has more knockouts than Mike Tyson's Career. Suspicious? Have a listen to "Ana Arfa" "Fil Kam Youm illi Fato" is true party song that has lots of heart. In addition to her love and courage behind the mic, Latifa also shows her unwavering commitment to Arab causes. She is always front and center at every corner of event, just like I am as always front and center at her concerts.

AsalaAsala This prolific and energetic artist is older than most Arab stars, but is still the hardest working star in the business. She put out two albums in 2008; one for the "Gulfies" (Arabs from the Gulf) and the second for the rest of us poor Arabs. I heard good things about her Gulf album, so I decided to give it an ear. Let's just say that once was enough to have me move on to bigger and better things (She collaborated with Tamer Hosny on that one). Her album "Wala Dari" is a good one though. "Walah Dari" and "Ah Min Einneh" are both examples of her strong energy and talented spirits. I get a rush when I hear the latter of the two songs. The rest of the album is pretty much more of the same, but it's not necessary bad.

Meryam FarisMeryamFaris Three things you need to know about Meryam: she is hot, she knows she's hot, and she can shake it! "Mosh Ananya" is the title of her 2008 album, which was good, but not great. "Mokanu ween" dangerously ventures into the Gulfie style, but she manages to pull it off. "Ayam El Shiti" is a warm and cozy song about missed connections, while "Mosh Ananya" is a nice attempt on talking about other things in life like loyalty and commitment. She delivers good songs, but I did not find the album to be necessary a danceable one, a style she has set for herself in past albums. Maybe when she's done entertaining those rich Arab bastards, she'll have the time to make a half-way decent album.

Of course, there were some that didn't quite make the "Hit List" this year. But hey, come December, we may be partying with some of these guys like it's 2009!

The Flops

Darin Hadshiti DarinDarin Hadshiti is one of those artists who broke out with a stunning first song and never managed to come back as big as they once were. "Kol El ‘Osa" is her latest album and is nothing short of being flat-out BORING! All her songs just sound the same. I might be inclined to blame her shortcomings on a greedy manager who wanted to just stock the shelves with a new album. Darin, you are a very talented singer, but fork over some real cash and get yourself some real musicians and song writers to help you resurrect your career. In the meantime, I'll be right here waiting for that day to come.

Amr DiabAmr Diab Wow, I totally forgot about this artist. Thank God! I would have had to think about it for awhile and then move on with my life. He is after all, the unchallenged king of Arabic pop music, our Justin Timberlake and Usher hybrid who possesses a hint of Johnny Legend. He's done what he does every 12 months: release an album. Not many cared for it though. Because his most recent album entitled "Ellila Di," I've decided to take out a personal vendetta against the future of the individuals involved in this album. You're done...all of you. To be fair, there are only so many ways to tell someone you love them. I am taking a stand against Diab; I refuse to listen to another album until he takes some time to enjoy himself in art that is music making.

Ragib AlamaRagib Alama "Wana Wyak" is the title of Alama's latest album which translates as "While I'm with you." It's funny because when I am with his album, I feel sorry for myself. I am sure Alama's recording studio has a toilet, because that's this album belongs. His video clip was incredibly confusing from the beginning. Was Raghib trying to look younger and sexier and so he decided to hire Chingy's director to show as many sexy ladies by the pool as possible? With the exception of the "Siri Hobi" the album stopped short from being "terrible" and managed to be "just not very good."

Samira SaidSamira Said I loved Samira Said in the 80's and late 90's, but not very much after that. She is quickly falling into the territory of "irrelevant." Her "Ayyam Hayyait" was her ticket to being a hot commodity, but what's hot today quickly turns cold tomorrow. I had high hopes for this one when I saw an interview with her and her songwriter, but the album failed to live up to all the hype. With the expectation of perhaps "Awam Kidda" which is a catchy song, you can forget "Hob Mayoos Minno," a song written for those who are about to kill themselves (and only themselves). Life is too short, so forget it Samira. In short this is one of those dime-a-dozen albums that doesn't really wow me.

Kazim Al-SahirKazim Al-Sahir The Iraqi superstar and legendary musician has dropped the ball with this album. He is only here on the list because his previous album was pure gold. This one though, doesn't live up to any expectations. In other words, he's guilty of his own success. With this album, I think Kazim wanted to reach out to his Iraqi countrymen, so he made an album mainly in an Iraqi music style. Take his song"Insa" is flat our boring. I think he's trying to move away from the Nizar Qabany poems, scores of which he took and turned into unforgettable hits. I am a bit harsher of Kazim, because he's one of the few Arab stars who is actually in charge of his albums in all phases of the album's production. When you write your songs, make your own music and then sing, an uncommon feat among singers these days, you can't be mediocre. To be fair "Ma'a Bagdadia" is a slick choice. But I wouldn't trade 10 bad songs to get one good one. This one just doesn't interest me. Life goes on.

Saber ElRiba'eSaber ElRiba'e Tunisia's rising pop artist hits the wall in attempting to bring back a mix of outdated and unnecessary songs. With his album "El Gorbah" you really do not know where to begin. With the expectations of "Niwakil Aleek Rabi," I can't remember one good song on that album and that's after listening to it more than a dozen times and not at gun point. "Niwakil Aleek Rabi" is a nice Tunisian inspired song with a great pace, but it's no "Sidi Mansour," his first Tunisian dialect hit. In short, the album is as boring as popcorn with no salt.

Medhat SalehMedhat Saleh The first Arab star to actually make a "music video" as we've come to know it today has released yet another new album. "Hobak Khatir" was good enough if everyone was still living in a cave and unfamiliar with a recent invention called the internet. In short, the album does not serve Saleh well. His voice is still powerful and captivating (this is the same guy whose voice graced numerous Egyptian soap operas and films), but his choice of songs makes you think: "Been there . . . Done that . . . Moved On!" In all fairness "Ana wad Rasam" is a great song that is better served as a single scoop.

Marwan KhouryMarwan Khoury The true Arab star and complete artist, Marwan wasn't particularly lucky with this album "Ana Wel Lail" has nothing going right for it. Marwan's pervious albums are pure money, because they successfully empower the attentive listener to peek into the window of the artist's soul and to say: "Wow . . . I am a believer!" Writing most of your songs, composing all of your own music and being in charge of your entire album doesn't guarantee your album's success buddy. It appears that Mr. Khoury has contracted a strain of the M. Night Shyamalan Syndrome. Maybe he should ask people and get advice from them. Having said that, I will be buying the next album Marwan makes, because I know he can still bring it home. After all, this is one of the few Arab musicians who managed to compose music for all the A-list stars who then turned those songs into big moneymaking hits.

Diana HaddadDiana Haddad It's tough to be harsh on the artists that you adore, but it sometimes has to be done. Diana can do no wrong in my book, as long as she remains a humble and likable artist. But you know what? Her choice of songs is what I find myself struggling to accept. Since she abandoned Lebanon and moved to Dubai with her husband Souhial El Abdoul in the late 90's, Diana's entire focus has shifted to making music that will get her concert deals--in other words, she's left her Lebanese and Egyptian phrases in the deserts of the Gulf. Her Gulf style is alright, but it shouldn't be everything that comes off her lips and into your ears. Her Gulf song "Law Yisalony" is a record for the ages. But, her album "Shofit Itisalak" is only good if your definition of good means spending time in funeral homes. The album has sparked as much interest in the Arab world as Michael Jackson's new CD did when it came out in 2008. By the way, did you hear about Michael's 2008 CD? My point exactly! Diana, please keep making music in your Bedouin style! You have always been a frontrunner in that genre and to us it never gets old.

Hany ShakerHany Shaker An Egyptian Michal Bolton who's been making music for more than 40 years now, came out with his latest "Album Soar" and simply stated: it's weird! I just couldn't tell what style he's following or where he's going with this new production. He even has a song for mothers, which is cool, but I need to ease into things like that. With all due respect, just because you have one good song, it does not mean you have an album. You have a single! Not the Hani-fying album I was hoping for. I'm just going to pretend this album was never made.

Tamer HosniTamer Hosni Egypt's hottest bad boy is back with a new album and a new film that walk into the trash bin of history. The album "Karab Kaman" has more bad songs all over it than Britney Spears has paparazzi. One might be able to tolerate "Hyia Di" a catchy tune made for his movie "Captain Hima," but making an album with 12 bad songs is beyond redemption! I guess you could say "Eftikrly" is a good song, if you're a high school girl who likes to see boys being real pansies. With this album, Tamer proves that he is nothing more than a man whore who would do anything for some mullah. F.Y.I.: Tamer is the fastest Arab star to get a song on the radio; he can write, compose, and sing a hit in less than 24 hours, a rarity among any music makers in the world. But seriously, his latest album robbed me from the last sliver of respect I had for him.

Here's the awfulness scale.
Samira Said (+1) Kazim Al Sahir (+1) Raghib Alama (-1) Amr Diab (-150)

Other Good Albums:
Mohamad Hamaki (Rock star and style) Naweeha
Tamer Ashour (The Complete Star) Had Beyeb
Samo Zean (Never the same) Leek Lewhdak
Ramy Sabry (my new man crush) Gammadit Aini
Yara (Leona Lewis of the Arabia) Inta Menni

Hottest New Star
Hoda Saad (Sweet, capable and Sexy voice) Ertahit
Asma Laminwar (Rihanna...baby) Wahran
Hisham El Hajj (A Truly Masculine Lebanese voice) Habibi Ana
Heba Yousef (She can sing her notes) Shof Geerak
Sara Alhani (Embrace pleasant change) Heek Biti'mal Fyya

How to get these songs and other Arabic ones:
1. Buy them legally where you can (online stores and local Arabic libraries)
2. Panet
3. 4Shared A good search engine that has plenty of Arabic songs stored in it for listening and download.

 This article originally appeared in http://www.KABOBfest.com and is featured in Levantine Review with permission from the author.