Orkos

As one of the few female singers operating within Egypt’s fertile 70s jazz scene, Maha was picked out as a potential crossover star. Partnered with composer and music arranger Hany Shenoda, the pair delivered an album that combined Egyptian music with a host of Western influences.

Though it swiftly sank into obscurity on its cassette-only release in 1979, the album – reissued here with liner notes and an interview with the singer – has aged remarkably well. Best-known for his work as part of funk band Al Massrieen, Shenoda was at the cutting edge of Egypt’s musical modernisation and his forward-thinking compositions find the perfect foil in Maha’s richly layered vocals, which combine jazz and Egyptian vocal traditions. Among the expertly woven musical tapestries on offer ‘Orkous’ combines dramatic Arabic vocals with salsa funk, ‘We Mesheet’ pairs Egyptian strings and vocals with Western basslines and percussion while ‘Law Laffeina El Ard’ offsets Maha’s charismatic vocals with jazz-tinged Hammond organs and a strident disco stomp.