laid-back fusions of traditional Middle Eastern melodies, rhythms and
instrumentation with cutting edge electronica, hip-hop beats and remixes.
Algerian rai, Berber music, Sufi chants, and Egyptian al-jeel meet dub, trip
hop, break beats and funk resulting in a hypnotic and captivating vibe. Sahara Lounge is the latest in a caravan of Putumayo releases focusing on exciting new directions in world music, including Sahara Lounge, Euro Lounge and Arabic Groove. Sahara Lounge includes 6 rare and previously unreleased tracks. The work of the innovative Lebanese electronica duo Soap Kills has been available almost exclusively on their self-produced, unreleased demo recordings. Ramin Sakurai’s collaboration with Iranian artist Shiraz has never before been widely released.
Nabiha Yazbeck’s “Astahel” has never been available outside of the Middle East
until now. The Jasmon and Mohammed Mounir track “Hanina (Jasmon Mix)” is hot off
the presses in Germany. Bahia El Idrissi’s “Arhil” has been heard only by the
lucky few who managed to get a hold of the his rare Dutch release. Sahara Lounge
also features a previously unreleased remix of the Nickodemus and Carol C.
favorite “Cleopatra in New York.”
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
