Sabah s/t LP (Phillips Lebanon, 196??)
You are about to hear one of the most amazing voices ever. Born in 1927, Sabah is one of the legendary voices of Lebanese and Arab music. Her stature in Lebanon is only rivaled by the great Fairuz. How big is Sabah? Think Sinatra big. During the 1940s, 50s, 60s, & 70s she appeared in over 80 movies, made dozens of albums, toured the worlds, and much much more. She was married 8 times, rare for women in the Arab world. Her marriages not only gave Arab women a sense of indipendance; Sabah's dress also showed Arab women that they could be colorful and creative. In the 1960s, her wearing of short pants in public caused a national scandal and wrecked on of her marriages. Now in her 90s, she is still on many men's wish list, though after a failed romance in the early 2000s, she asked her daughter to poison her if she ever fell in love again, a request she took back when she fell in love to a much younger man. Recently she told a radio announcer the only thing she hasn't done that she is looking forward to doing is to die. According to reports, she said this as a matter of fact, not with a hint of sadness.
I knew nothing of Sabah before I found this record and I probably would not have picked this one up had I not been dating a belly dancer at the time. The belly dancer was pretty bummed when she heard this because it doesn't lend itself to dancing. I was anything but disappointed: I was floored. The voice you hear on Abou el Zolof is not doctored. No editting was involved. It is pure lung power and remarkable voice command. The two blast you hear are more than 20 seconds long. When I first heard it, I walked over to the turntable to pick up the needle because I thought there was a skip. But when I looked, the needle was moving smoothly through the grooves. When I play this for friends, they ask me if the record is skipping and when they find out it is not, they are in awe. I hope the same feeling comes over you.
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