Art of Belly Dancing
George Abdo
CD Review
Recomended
Track List
1. Raks Musri; 2:36
2. Meenie Yaba : 4:45
3. Raks Araby; 2:57
4. Hadouni, Hadouni; 3:50
5. Raks al-Sultan; 4:04
6. Raks al-Dounya; 2:59
7. Raks el Gezlan; 3:45
8. Raks Pharonic; 5:48
9. Gameel Gamal; 3:42
10. Raks Gamal; 4:06
11. Nassam Alyana el-Hawa; 4:48
12. Raks Siretzi; 4:17
13. Miserlou; 4:17
I first bought Art of Belly Dancing on vinyl lp back in the early 80s. It quickly became one of my favorites and still is. Only a handful of artists will withstand the test of time and George Abdo is surely one of them. His rich vocals enhance the well played musicals. All the songs are fairly short, ideal for beginners, competitions and solos, and there’s enough variety to string several together into a longer, multi-part routine.
His renditions of Meenie Yaba, Hadouni, Hadouni and Miserlou are my favorite versions of these songs. Raks Musri and Raks Araby are short, fun tunes. The beginning of Raks el Gezlan actually sounds a bit more pharonic than Raks Pharonic.
From well known and loved classics, to less familiar but equally enjoyable songs, everything on this cd is super danceable. The arrangements are easy on Western ears and ideal for students and Western audiences.
You might like this cd if you
• Like Middle Eastern music
• Want music that is both easy to listen to and easy to dance to
• Are looking for shorter songs ideal for solos
• Are looking for music suitable for beginners
You probably don’t want this cd if you
• Are looking for tribal or folkloric sounds
• Are looking for techno or pop
• Are looking for modern music, or music from outside the Middle East