Zeid Hamdan: Balekeh (Acoustic)

Unique and rare sounds from the Middle East in a look at the creative publication's current music issue

Hailing from Mauritania, Noura Mint Seymali’s “Tzenni” (the Hassaniya Arabic word meaning “to turn” or “to spin”) is immediately intriguing and alluring. The song quickly morphs into fusion of traditional Moorish griot music, Western pop, blues, even psych-rock—aided by the guitar stylings of her husband, Jeiche Ould Chighaly. Seymali (who began her career at the tender age of 13, as a back-up singer for her …

L’Orchestre National de Mauritanie: Senam-Mosso

Unique and rare sounds from the Middle East in a look at the creative publication's current music issue

Lebanese composer and music producer Zeid Hamdan is behind some of the country’s biggest regional and alternative bands. “Balekeh” is a song from 2011 performed by his band, Zeid and the Wings, from their album Aasfeh. Here, he takes the already soothing pop tune down just a perfect soulful notch with the acoustic version—”with a few ghosts on back vocals.” Beautifully saccharine, the music video …

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Old-school DāM-FЦПK, A Man of Ideas, new Cam'ron, a #PrivateJam from Bradley Zero and more in the music we tweeted this week

Auclair: Jupiter + Venus UK music website The 405 debuted a new track from London-based singer, songwriter and producer Auclair this week. From her forthcoming EP Semaphore, “Jupiter + Venus” is like the Goldilocks of new music; it’s the perfect combination of sweet and daunting, slow but steady, and instrumentally streamlined but beautifully produced (for which Auclair worked with Marc Pell of Micachu and the …