Eyoun el Alb

Born in 1938 in Cairo, Nagat El-Saghira made her first public performance at the age of seven – her diminutive size being such that the audience requested she stand on a chair to be better seen. Nagat's youth and small stature led to her taking on the stage name El-Saghira – meaning ‘the young/small one’ – a title she retained for the rest of her 59-year career, which encompassed a golden era in classical Arabic music. Eyoun el Alb (Eyes of the Heart) is a vinyl reissue of Nagat's 1980 cassette-only release, which represented a transition from the longer form compositions of her previous recordings to shorter, pop-length songs. The A-side comprises the title track, a multi-part suite recorded in front of a live audience, featuring the traditional Arabic string and percussion sections, as well as occasional synthesizer interlocutions. The B-sides, in contrast, are shorter, with an overtly Western-influenced studio production that draws from disco, smooth funk and exotica. ‘Bahlam Maak’ (I Dream with You) and ‘Ana Bashaa el Bahr’ (I Adore the Sea) are wistful pop songs, underpinned with delicate acoustic guitar and simmering rhythm section grooves. ‘Fakra’ (Do You Remember?) sits in a fascinating cross-section between these two styles, the traditional orchestration sitting comfortably with the more contemporary production. A cult classic and a sought-after rarity in the Arabic groove scene, this is a welcome reissue and a charming time capsule of a transitory period in Arabic music.