“Garrib Tigy” (2009) – Ahmad Fathi * CD: Akher El Akhbar * Label: Rotana
Without previous familiarity with Yemeni oud master Ahmad Fathi, you might not suspect the music on this dance pop track to be the work of a virtuoso. Fathi is a triple threat, though: a respected musician, a singer on many Arabic pop market recordings, and a composer whose operetta “Children of the World” set music to words by Syrian poet Mahmoud Yassin. Fathi is a tad older than he looks on the cover (born in 1957); his daughter Bilquis is an up-and-coming singer. “Garrib Tigy” is a true pop song title, translating roughly to “come on and try it.”