Giant + Guitar

Description

Wewantsounds is reissuing Omar Khorshid's "Giant + Guitar," a pivotal album of oriental music, originally released in 1974 on the Voice of Lebanon label. The album prominently features the electric guitar, blending traditional oriental melodies with hypnotic pop arrangements. Omar Khorshid's life, though short (he died at 36 in a road accident in 1981), was extraordinary. Gifted with great musical talent, the Egyptian musician became one of the leading guitarists in the Arab world in the 1960s, accompanying stars of the era such as Umm Kulthum, Abdel Halim Hafez, and Farid El Atrache, among others. To escape the political turmoil in Egypt and pursue his artistic ambitions, Khorshid moved to Beirut, Lebanon, in 1973 and began recording a series of superb albums, experimenting with oriental music. He recorded for several labels, including Voice of Lebanon, one of the leading Lebanese labels at the time, for which he released "Giant + Guitar" in 1974. The album was a great success in the Arab world, thanks in part to its rich sound, recorded in Polysound studio by sound engineer Nabil Moumtaz, a benchmark in the oriental music scene. The cover shows Khorshid on his motorbike in a bustling street in Hamra, one of Beirut's most popular neighborhoods, where he played at night in local clubs. The album was also released internationally under the title "Rhythms from the Orient" with a different cover. Khorshid's music is both bold and accessible, highlighting the musician's unique guitar sound, accompanied here by a small ensemble blending traditional and modern arrangements. The opening track, "Rakset El Fadaa," composed by Lebanese musician Nour Al Mallah, is a perfect example of Khorshid's talent. Starting with a long, hypnotic guitar intro, he then launches into the melody, accompanied by a groovy organ, oriental percussion, and the psychedelic touches of a first-generation synthesizer. The album continues in this vein, as shown by the interpretation of Mohamed Abdel Wahab's standard "Leilet Hob," popularized by Umm Kulthum, which sees Khorshid and his musicians change rhythm several times over the eight-minute track. Another highlight of the album is undoubtedly Omar Khorshid's own composition, "Taqassim Sanat Alfein," a long guitar improvisation accompanied by a few synth touches. Bursting with sonic innovations, "Giant + Guitar" pushed the boundaries of oriental music in the 1970s. It has gained stature over the decades and has become a highly sought-after record by many DJs and collectors worldwide. The album has been remastered and reissued with its original cover, including a 2-page insert featuring liner notes by DJ Ernesto Chahoud. Wewantsounds' series of reissues of Arabic music is overseen by Mario Choueiry of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.