The Paris-based label celebrates this classic, recorded in Egypt on the legendary Soutelphan Records.
Born in France, the singer began her career at the age of 12 via anti-colonisation songs in her father’s cabaret. Moving to Lebanon because of suspicions of affiliation with the FLN, she later had a great career in Egypt and discovered Algeria at the time of decolonisation.
Written by legendary composer Baligh Hamdi, Kalik Hena was recorded in public in 1973, mixing traditional Arabic music with a tinge of 70s grooves. On this remastered version, Warda delivers a deep and hypnotic performance backed by a full orchestra featuring the unparalleled Arabic strings that made recordings by Oum Khalthoum, Farid El Atrache and Abdel Halim Hafez so famous.
This is the album’s first reissue on vinyl since the 70s, with original artwork and a two page insert with a new introduction by Mario Choueiry, who curates the Wewantsounds‘ Arabic reissue series.
Khalik Hena by Warda, out on October 15 via Wewantsounds.
