Natacha Atlas

Gedida (Beggars Banquet)
by Jamie Kiffel

Thick-lipped, glittering in perspiration and heavy with chipping gold bangles and sequined, beaded belt, the dancer lifts one arm slowly, raising her body as she uncurls from the base of her spine to her forehead. Thud, pulse, hop – her hips jump up and back to an insistent Arabic drumbeat, then halt for syncopation; bright finger cymbals glint hot red, and above the twanging guitar, a smooth alto voice flows in as sultry as the Nile. Natacha Atlas‘ tones slide serpentine figure-eights over and through traditional Arabic rhythms. Earning the album’s title, Gedida (“New”), Atlas adds a daringly modern bass beat and surprisingly industrial rap and electrical noise to the Moroccan mix. The monster-machine grinds and techno trills overlapping traditional Egyptian tarsims (guitar jams), combined with Atlas’ mystically rich, almost gypsy-thick voice and high sighs are enough to make any fakir drop his doumbek.

Atlas is not just a hip-grinding gimmick to distract drunken bachelors from bad baba ganoush. Setting herself apart from the paste and glitter string of tin-voiced, quivering eye candy, this Arabic singer delivers real rhythm – 4/4 as well as 9/8 – with her hip rolls. She even indulges an Edith Piaf-like performance of “Mon Amie La Rose” with perfectly passionate Parisian pronunciation. Liner note lyrics are translated into English, and include such interestingly political comments as “Let’s make investigation into the reasons for domination and proclamations by government politicians and media propaganda” (in “Bastet”), but none of these anthem-like claims hold a hammered brass candelabra to Atlas’ back-of-the-throat Arabian moans. This isn’t a table dance at Ali Baba’s Grind’n’Grub – this is midnight music for a Ramses rave.
(580 Broadway #1004 New York, NY 10012)