SONG OF THE DAY Omar Khorshid – Rakset El Fadaa

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The vastly hypnotic and rather intoxicating sounds you are hearing today comes courtesy of Egyptian guitarist and composer, Omar Khorshid.  Born in 1945 and known as of the most legendary figures in Arabic music, he was a self-taught musician who had mastered the violin, guitar and piano from a very early age. He was also an actor, starring in several Egyptian, Lebanese, and Syrian films in the 1970s and early 1980 and it’s believed that he composed music for over 40 films.  His talents took him far and had it not been for a tragic accident in 1981, who knows how much further he would’ve gone?

He started out playing at parties and small clubs and was then invited by Abdel Halim Hafez to play electric guitar with his Oriental Orchestra. He then hooked up with Oum Kalsoum and her orchestra (Oum Kalthoum, Abdel Halim Hafez are often referred to as two of the “four greats” of Arabic music). In 1973 he moved to Lebanon where he began making his own records, for which he released at least a dozen!

Today’s glorious offering is entitled Rakset El Fadaawas and can be found on his 1974 album Giant + Guitar and demonstrates the swirling magic that his potent sound creates. It transports me to worlds I’ve never seen and introduces the senses to shapes and patterns of mystical imagery, sparking the imagination and igniting a thirst to discover more!…

Check it out above and if you want to read more, I’ve found an interesting Pitchfork article about a compilation of his work that was released in 2010 (originally made in the mid-1970s, but only released in 2010).