Salam Delta Salamat Meet Les Musiciens Du Nil (1994)

"Salam Delta originated as a pan-modern Cairo musical revue assembled by Salamat leader Mahmoud Fadl for a 1994 Berlin festival. The performances so thoroughly torched audiences that Piranha decided to run the whole crew into the studio. Be glad they did, and also that the smart ass jokester aspects in the liner notes doesn't turn up in the high-octane performances here. But solemn traditionalism doesn't rule, either -- these players, drawn from Salamat, and percussion ensemble Les Musiciens du Nil, are fronted here by singers Shamandi Tewfig Metqâl, Salama Abdel Rahman, and 12-year-old prodigy Ahmed Fathy, who sound like they're having an absolute blast. The best thing about Salam Delta is that all those analytical or points or musical connections within the Arab pop world pale before the sheer joy and exuberance in the music. Ain't nothing but a house party, really, a bunch of musicians with a tradition and hometown in common, thrown together for the first time, getting off and letting it rip." (Allmusic)