Habibi Funk Germany Vinilo y CD

Review: For their latest essential primer on Sudanese music, Habibi Funk has chosen to focus on singer Sharharbil Ahmed, an artist whose desire to update Haqiba, a popular secular style of vocal-driven music, made him a pivotal figure in the 1960s. In his home country, Sharharbil became known as the "king of Sudanese jazz", a distinctive style that melded local instrumentation and vocals with jazz horns and heavy, guitar-driven grooves that drew much inspiration from rock and roll, surf-rock and rhythm and blues. The compilation does a great job in showcasing this insatiable, effervescent sound, showcasing the very best of Sharharbil's golden period output, most of which has never before been released outside of Sudan.

Review: Late 70s funk fusion from Tunisia: capturing the moment leading Tunis bands Dalton and Marhaba Band joined forces for some legendary disco fusion. "Alech" ignites with a Doobie Brothers style shiny guitar, big slap bass and soaring synth work while "Hanen" is a little more introspective and soulful with its honeyed harmonies and cascading chord sequence. Complete with instrumentals.

Review: Habibi Funk present a legendary Lebanese work from Issam Hajali's group Ferkat Al Ard. This groundbreaking release from 1978 is a truly international affair, as Arab, jazz, folk and Brazilian styles criss-cross with flair under the arrangement guidance of Ziad Rahbani. The sound moves between pop and psych to touches of bossa nova and tropicalia. For diggers who have been after this record for some time, it's worth noting the band insisted on two tracks being excluded which were on the original version, but they have been replaced by the equally stunning 'Juma;a 6 Hziran'. This is a gem of Lebanese musical history, and a quintessential release in the ever-essential research undertaken by Habibi Funk.

Review: Habibi Funk does a great job of introducing or reacquainting the world with niche but rich musical scenes from all across the Arab world. This latest album takes us to the reggae sounds of Libya and specifically the work of Ibrahim Hesnawi, who is known amongst those who know as "The Father of Libyan Reggae." He draws on roots, dub and dancehall with a distinctive Arabic twist that plots a line from Tripoli to Kingston. This artist is so revered for the way he fused the those two musical worlds so effortlessly while colouring it with elements of jazz, soul and disco. An enchanting album that was first recorded more than 40 years ago.

Review: Maha was the vocalist with Salah Ragab's Cairo jazz band and in 1979 she recorded this somehow completely unknown album. It is a real world music gem that previously only came on cassette, and features production from Hany Shenoda of Al Massrieen. It mixes up plenty of Egyptian musical traditions with jazz, funk, soul and Latin influences. There's a string-laced serenity to 'Kabl Ma Nessallem We Nemshy' and 'Ala Shat El Nesyan' which stand out as particular highlights. Maha left music behind in the mid-1980s for a different life, which in this evidence suggests the jazz scene lost a great one.

Review: Charif Megarbane is a prolific producer and instrumentalist from Beirut and he is back once again with Marzipan, a first contemporary full length on Habibi Funk. It is a deep trip into his musical universe which mixes up influences from Lebanon and the Mediterranean and artists such as Ziad Rahbani, Ahmed Malek and Issam Hajali. All 17 tracks show off his mastery of composition as much as antigen else - freewheeling grooves from gypsy jazz to ethno-funk that draw on the energies of a bustling market, the lush atmospheres of a sun beach resort and various other of his surrounding soundscapes. It is hugely transportative and excellent escapism.

Review: Habibi Funk co-founder Jannis Stuertz first came across "the Holy Grail of Sudanese funk", Saif Abu Bakr and The Scorpions "Jazz, Jazz, Jazz", while browsing eBay listings a few years back. His interest piqued, he took a trip to Sudan to track down the musicians who had made a ridiculously rare LP that was changing hands for thousands of pounds online. Some four years later, his wish to reissue the set has finally come through. It was originally recorded in Kuwait in 1980 and brilliantly joins the dots between American funk, soul and rhythm and blues, traditional Sudanese vocals and rhythmic arrangements, and even a dash of Congolese soukkous. It's the first full album Habibi Funk has reissued, and with good reason: it's near perfect from start to finish.

Review: Since launching a few years back, Jannis Sturtz's Habibi Funk label has done a terrific job in sourcing and reissuing generally brilliant music from North Africa and the Middle East. The label's second multi-artist compilation does a good job in proving this point by offering up a pleasingly eclectic range of "historic popular music from the Arab world". There's much to enjoy, from the Steely Dan-esque West Coast warmth of Douaa's 'Haditouni' and the heavy psych-funk of 'Ahl Jedba' by Fadoul, to the synth-sporting riff on the Bee Gees' 'Staying Alive' that is Najib Al Housh's 'Ya En Daly', and the slow motion, reggae-driven sunshine pop of Ibrahim Hesnawi's 'Tendme'.

Review: Habibi Funk follows up the success of their first instalment of music from the Arab world with a second superb instalment. They point out that this is "not meant as a historic reflection of popular music of the "Arab world." It is a very personal selection of songs we grew to like." It is a brilliantly broad affair with organ funk from Egypt, disco sounds and mystical vocals from Morocco, reggae and folkloric music from Libya and soundtracks from Algeria. All the tracks are fully licensed either directly from the artists or from their families.

Review: Habibi Funk has subtitled this tasty label compilation "an eclectic selection of music from the Arab world". It's an apt description, because the double vinyl set is little less than a whistle-stop tour of killer cuts from North Africa and the Middle East. Amongst the dirty and driving Morccoan funk (see Fadoul's righteously heavy opener), Arabic rock and roll (the Beatles-in-Timbukto flex of Jalil Bellis), Lebanese disco, Sudanese throw-downs and Algerian floor-burners, you'll find a quintet of previously unreleased tracks discovered during the label's extensive vault-digging explorations around the Arabic world. We can think of few finer introductions to vintage Arabic dance music, to be honest, and would heartily recommend it.