January 14, 2022
Sublime Frequencies
1xLP
Like most great artists, Baligh Hamdi abandoned a much more profitable and safe gig to pursue his creative passion. He was on the short track to becoming a lawyer, foregoing his studies to instead become a violinist/singer, like an absolute madman who had visions of engineering a new wave of neo-traditional Egyptian music. His compositions began receiving notable covers and acclaim in the mid-50s, and for the following 20 years his brand of born-again classical became the standard on Egyptian radio. Where us in the West might recognize Hamdi is from his composition "Khosara Khosra," which was (controversially) sampled by Timbaland for Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'," which, while we can't speak for everyone, was an introduction to Egyptian music for many of us. Not bad for a law school dropout.