Nadah El Shazly

Experimenting with her voice, electronic music and Arabic inspirations, Cairo’s Nadah El Shazly celebrates unpredictability on her debut album, “Ahwar”.

The first album of Nadah El Shazly took two years to come into being, but in a way this experimental singer-songwriter and producer has been collecting ideas and skills since her childhood – whether that was singing in a bathroom, headbanging in a punk rock band, or trying all kinds of electronic stuff to eventually create her very own sound – though impossible to put into words.

“Ahwar” (which means “Marshlands”) brings just 6 tracks, but none of them ends the way it has started, none of them follows a path you could predict, and altogether they offer you an experience worth an album twice this long. The album was recorded in Egypt and Canada, and El Shazly was accompanied in the studio by a range of acclaimed musicians, like Maurice Louca (on guitars and synths) and Osama Shalabi (also guitars and synths).

It might be one of the more demanding new releases you’ll hear this season, but “Ahwar” is a rewarding challenge, offering a whole new world to explore during at least several evening sessions.

Stream “Ahwar” LP on Bandcamp.

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Nadah El Shazly on Facebook, TwitterSoundcloud, Bandcamp.

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