New York DJ

A Classic, Festive Tune to Add Some Arabic Flavor to Any Event: Dalida, “Salma Ya Salama”

Often when selecting music for an event - be it a private party, corporate event, wedding, art opening, fashion show, or almost anything else - the organizer will think about catering to certain guests by including a type of music they will like. But if these guests enjoy a style of music that the organizer isn't very familiar with, instead of risking embarrassment by unknowingly choosing a song that's inappropriate for the mood, or simply a lame choice in that particular style, the organizers of the event may simply play it safe and not include any of this more unfamiliar music at all.

Well, if that unfamiliar genre happens to be Arabic music, here's a great classic to start with that will allow you to confidently expand the musical styles of your event. The song, "Salma Ya Salama," is a traditional Egyptian folk song written in the early 1900s that was given a exhilarating "re-boot" in the late '70s by Dalida, a singer who was (she died in 1987) and still is hugely popular and adored in Europe and Egypt.

"Salma" effortlessly achieves a perfect balance in so many ways: It has a lush, festive chorus that instantly creates a warm, relaxing mood that's just as good for sitting down and enjoying as it is for getting up and dancing; the song's arrangement - with a mid-tempo shuffling beat and a tight three minute pop structure - makes it accessible to Western ears, but at the same time the song never sounds bland or "emptied" of its native sound; and because it was a huge hit across Europe and in Egypt in the late '70s and has spawned house music-style remixes as well as cover versions by the Gypsy Kings with singer Ishtar Alabina (go here for my post on one of her excellent Arabic-Spanish tunes), the song is familiar to both old and new fans of Arabic music. But beyond all these impressive qualities, the real reason the song works is simply because it’s infectious and fun and grabs you the first time you hear it.

Dalida, an Italian-born singer who grew up in Egypt and was unfortunately obscure in the U.S. but who had huge success in Europe from the '60s through the mid '80s, sings “Salma” here in Egyptian Arabic, but she also recorded the song in French, German, and Italian. Dalida is considered one of the first singers to have success with songs that fused Western and Middle Eastern cultural influences, long before singers like Shakira, Ishtar Alabina and Ofra Haza emerged and made these cross-cultural connections less unusual. Despite being recorded over 30 years ago, the production of the song and performance given by Dalida has aged remarkably well. Listen to the song, and I think you'll feel it could've been recorded this year. (Keep in mind that during the late '70s, it seemed every studio engineer across the Western world was putting a slick disco sheen on almost all genres of music, making the restraint and lack of "boogiefication" of this song all the more remarkable.)

So, while "Salma Ya Salama" is great for catering to guests who are fans of Arabic music, the song will also work great at any time during an event, regardless of the guests present - especially in the wake of the popularity of the Bhangra / hip-hop / house fusion of the song "Jai Ho" from the film Slumdog Millionaire. (Go here for my recent post on this song and Indian Bhangra music.) For those of you looking for another exotic multicultural song fix, Dalida's invigorating take on this old Egyptian folk song may be the perfect find.

Dalida - Salma Ya Salama (Egyptian Arabic lyrics)

An Irresistible Arabic & Latin Music Cocktail: Alabina, “Habibi de Mis Amores”

As I mentioned in a post in May about multicultural events, one of the reasons we love DJ-ing in NYC is the high prevalence of people of varied ethnic backgrounds at events. This gives us the ability to both play music from around the world for people and turn them onto it, and to receive requests from clients or from clients’ guests that turn us on to great music from around the world. But, most importantly, it usually means there's an openness to - and often an expectation that - an international mix of songs will be played thoughout the night. This is something that we can’t thank the city for enough.

One artist we recently spun at a multicultural wedding reception at a hotel overlooking Central Park was Alabina, a group (now likely disbanded) comprised of an Isreali-born vocalist Ishtar Alabina (pictured), and a Spanish backing band from France named Los Ninos de Sara. Together, Ishtar and the band mix Arabic and Latin rhythms in their songs. Now, this might to some seem like it would turn out a bit forced, but Alabina makes it sounds seamless and irresistibly festive, even making you think why this musical hybrid isn't more commonplace. At our recent event just described, Alabina worked perfectly on the dance floor for the incredibly international crowd, many of whom were from Armenia, and others who were from Israel, Russia, France, and Mexico.

Here’s an Alabina song which I think best captures the magic they make with their mix of sounds. “Habibi de Mis Amores” (basically translated as “Love of My Loves,” the first word in the title being Arabic for love or beloved, the last word being the Spanish plural for love) combines Arabic and Spanish not only in lyrics, but also in the wailing Middle-Eastern-style female vocals of the verses, and the Flamenco-y guitar and Salsa-ish percussion of the instrumental break. In the chorus, though, everything comes together as Arabic music dramatics and Latin music celebratoriness combine to create an elegant, sexy and euphoric tune. And while at the event described above this tune resulted in guests dancing, because the song isn't ever overpowering in its energy, I think it also would work great to spice up any cocktail hour.