Ana Hina
Encyclopedia
Ana Hina is an album by Belgian
singer Natacha Atlas
. It was released by World Village on 26 May 2008. The album primarily features acoustic
cover version
s of songs originally performed by Arabic
singers Fairuz
and Abdel Halim Hafez
. It was also influenced by Scottish
and Latin music
.
to "La Vida Callada", a duet
with Spanish
singer Clara Sanabras, are based on a poem composed by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo
. "Black is the Colour
" is a traditional Scottish folk song
. Atlas' version is loosely based on Nina Simone
's cover version
and features a Middle East
ern musical arrangement. The song "He Hesitated" refers to the Iraq War; Atlas has openly criticized the foreign policy decisions of former United States
President George W. Bush
and former British
Prime Minister Tony Blair
. The track "El Nowm" was inspired by Lebanese composer Zad Moultaka
's album Anashid.
, Robin Denselow called the album a "mature, varied and entertaining set". The Times
reviewer David Hutcheon described Ana Hina as "rather wonderful" and named "La Vida Callada" as its best song. Youssef Rakha of the The National wrote that the album "is a powerful statement about being in the world today, a musical monument to globalisation" and further commented that its "effect is both refreshing and disorienting".
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
singer Natacha Atlas
Natacha Atlas
Natacha Atlas is a Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western electronic music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "cha'abi moderne" . Her music has been influenced by many styles including Arabic, hip hop, drum 'n' bass and reggae.Atlas began her career as part of...
. It was released by World Village on 26 May 2008. The album primarily features acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of songs originally performed by Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
singers Fairuz
Fairuz
Nouhad Wadi Haddad , famously known as Fairuz is a Lebanese singer who is widely considered to be the most famous living singer in the Arab world and one of the best known of all time...
and Abdel Halim Hafez
Abdel Halim Hafez
Abdel Halim Ali Shabana commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez , is among the most popular Egyptian and Arab singers and performers. In addition to singing, Halim was also an actor, conductor, business man, music teacher and movie producer...
. It was also influenced by Scottish
Music of Scotland
Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music...
and Latin music
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
.
Songs and background
Many of the songs on the album were culled from her father's personal tape collection by Atlas's music director, Harvey Brough. The lyricsLyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
to "La Vida Callada", a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
singer Clara Sanabras, are based on a poem composed by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, and perhaps best known for her self-portraits....
. "Black is the Colour
Black Is the Colour (Of My True Love's Hair)
"Black Is the Colour " is a traditional folk song first known in the Appalachian Mountains region of the United States in 1915, but most probably originating from Scotland, as attributed to the reference to the Clyde in the song's lyrics...
" is a traditional Scottish folk song
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. Atlas' version is loosely based on Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
's cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
and features a Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern musical arrangement. The song "He Hesitated" refers to the Iraq War; Atlas has openly criticized the foreign policy decisions of former United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and former British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. The track "El Nowm" was inspired by Lebanese composer Zad Moultaka
Zad Moultaka
Zad Moultaka is a Lebanese composer and pianist.He attended the Conservatoire de Paris and has played at the Baalbeck International Festival. He worked with Fadia Tomb El-Hage in his 2009 album Visions.-Discography:*Anashid...
's album Anashid.
Critical response
Ana Hina received positive reviews from music critics. In a review for The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Robin Denselow called the album a "mature, varied and entertaining set". The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reviewer David Hutcheon described Ana Hina as "rather wonderful" and named "La Vida Callada" as its best song. Youssef Rakha of the The National wrote that the album "is a powerful statement about being in the world today, a musical monument to globalisation" and further commented that its "effect is both refreshing and disorienting".
Track listing
| # | Title | Songwriters | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Ya Laure Hobouki" | Rahbani Brothers Rahbani brothers The Rahbani Brothers , Assi Rahbani and Mansour Rahbani , were Lebanese composers, musicians, songwriters, authors, playwrights/dramatists, philosophers, and poets... |
4:22 |
| 2 | "Beny Ou Benak Eih" | Mamoun AlShinnawy, Kamal AlTaweel | 4:12 |
| 3 | "Ana Hina" | Natacha Atlas, Harvey Brough | 5:12 |
| 4 | "La Shou El Haki" | Rahbani Brothers | 3:18 |
| 5 | "Black is the Colour Black Is the Colour (Of My True Love's Hair) "Black Is the Colour " is a traditional folk song first known in the Appalachian Mountains region of the United States in 1915, but most probably originating from Scotland, as attributed to the reference to the Clyde in the song's lyrics... " |
John Jacob Niles John Jacob Niles John Jacob Niles was an American composer, singer, and collector of traditional ballads. Called the "Dean of American Balladeers", Niles was an important influence on the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, with Joan Baez, Burl Ives, and Peter, Paul and Mary, among others,... |
4:07 |
| 6 | "Le Teetab Alayi" | Rahbani Brothers | 3:20 |
| 7 | "La Vida Callada" with Clara Sanabras | Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, and perhaps best known for her self-portraits.... , Clara Sanabras |
5:04 |
| 8 | "Hayati Inta Reprise (Hayatak Ana)" | Atlas, Brough, Marc Eagleton | 6:26 |
| 9 | "El Asil" | Emam ElSaftalli, Aly Ismael | 2:03 |
| 10 | "Lammebada" | Traditional | 7:10 |
| 11 | "He Hesitated" | Atlas, Brough, Eagleton | 4:19 |
| 12 | "El Nowm" | Atlas, Brough | 5:45 |
Charts
| Charts (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums Chart | 162 |