Rough Guide To The Best Arabic Music You've Never Heard

It is true some legends of Arabic music have permeated the international music market: Oum Kalsoum’s powerful voice is respected the world over and Rachid Taha’s modern raï is the soundtrack to the American blockbuster Black Hawk Down. There are many reasons the artists on this album haven’t reached quite the same zenith and it’s certainly not down to a lack of musical talent. The Arab World encompasses twenty-two countries stretching across the Middle East and North Africa. The musical output of such a vast area is huge and much of the music included here is intended for local consumption, created by unsigned artists, or presents new sounds created from mashing together fresh cultural combinations – an approach that doesn’t attract the mighty machinations of the mainstream music industry.