Maryam Saleh, Maurice Louca, Tamer Abu Ghazaleh - Lekhfa

The Guardian 100

(Mostakell)

It’s not easy being an experimental indie musician in Egypt. There are very few venues, no state funding, and censors to worry about. All of which makes this compelling, brooding collaboration so remarkable. Each of these three musicians has an impressive history, but their debut album together is an edgy triumph, thanks to the empathy between them, and the interplay between the vocalists Maryam Saleh and Tamer Abu Ghazaleh. The influences include Egyptian shaabi, electro-shaabi, pop and psychedelia, with backing provided by anything from oud and buzuq lute to slide guitars, drums, beat loops and electronica. The result is an intriguing, distinctive style that veers between off-kilter dance passages to such songs as Mathaf Fonoun El Ghesh, a contemplation on truth and deception that sounds like the soundtrack to some gently exhilarating nightmare. The lyrics are by Egyptian poet Mido Zoheir, although regrettably there is no translation.