The Ayoub Sisters – Arabesque (2022)
The Ayoub Sisters are rising stars in the area of innovative and crossover western classical music. “Arabesque” is their second album and the two sisters deliver masterful violin and cello performances. Notably, Sarah and Laura Ayoub combine the string traditions of classical music with the fascinating world music sounds of the Middle East, Scottish Celtic music, elegant symphonic orchestrations, 1920s cabaret sounds and other influences.
Ahead of the full album release, The Ayoub Sisters released a couple of singles. The first one is titled “El Helwa Di”, a portrait of a beautiful woman. The lyrics of the original song by Sayed Darwish describe a woman waking up at dawn to the sound of the cockerel (a young rooster), to bake bread while men leave to find work. Sarah and Laura Ayoub updated this classic piece by adding captivating guitar, irresistible rhythms and rich orchestral strings. “The serenity and beauty of the desert landscape, hustle and bustle of Cairo city center and the aromatic tastes and smells are some of the elements we tried to capture in our orchestration“, said The Ayoub Sisters.
A second single, “Aatiny Al Naya Wa Ghani” (give me the flute and sing) was composed by Najib Hankach with lyrics based on the poetry of the legendary Khalil Gibran. The sisters grew up listening to Arabic music star Fairuz singing this song and recreated the ballad by adding an early 20th century nightclub flavor. The sisters are joined by guitarist friend Giulio Romano Maaisi as well as James Davison and Duncan Hemstock on solo trumpet and clarinet.
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.