“Guitar player from Egypt. Born in 1945, he was tragically killed in a car accident in 1981.
After a few years of playing parties and small clubs, he was invited by Abdel Halim Hafez to play electric guitar with his Oriental Orchestra. He then hooked up with Oum Kalsoum and her orchestra. In 1973 he moved to Lebanon where he began making his own records and this continued until 1981.
He was also an actor, starring in several Egyptian, Lebanese, and Syrian films in the 1970s and early 1980s. It is believed that he composed music for over 40 films.”
After a few years of playing parties and small clubs, he was invited by Abdel Halim Hafez to play electric guitar with his Oriental Orchestra. He then hooked up with Oum Kalsoum and her orchestra. In 1973 he moved to Lebanon where he began making his own records and this continued until 1981.
He was also an actor, starring in several Egyptian, Lebanese, and Syrian films in the 1970s and early 1980s. It is believed that he composed music for over 40 films.”
“Omar Khorshid was a massive figure in the musical movements of Egypt in the 1970s, adding his guitar to a series of bands and solo excursions ranging from the now-classic Oum Kalthoum to his own brands of psychedelic experimentation.
As he flies through these recordings, all from the 1973-1977 period, the sound is immediately striking. The chaos of a stereotypical Middle Eastern bazaar is inherent in every track, with tiny clashes, small and large thumps of a darbukkah, and jangling percussion everywhere. With that, though, there’s an organ that roves into true psychedelic territory à la Ray Manzarek more often than it stays as basic accompaniment. And there’s Khorshid himself, powering his guitar through odd mixes of rhythmic exploration, of traditional scales, and of acid jazz noodling all at once. The resulting sound is simultaneously exotic, ageless, and retro-modern. But all elements are entrancing. This is nostalgic ethnic music at its finest.” [Adam Greenberg]
And now for something completely different – Electrified Belly Dance Psych/Surf Exotica. Usually, I don’t dig ethno stuff, but this collection has some vibes related to surf and Dick Dale Middle East influences. Anyways, pretty interesting stuff to shake your jelly belly, baby. Rock The Casbah!
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SURFADELIC 