Sahara Lounge

Chilled grooves with an Arabian flair are the flavor du jour at Putumayo's third "lounge." SAHARA LOUNGE offers a kaleidoscope of heavy duty beats and breaks, slinky strings, sinuous vocals and lots of deep, exotic ambiance. This release definitely falls squarely under the category of Putumayo's contemporary fusion recordings - there's a strong nightclub-friendliness about the North African songs presented here. Among the highlights are Natacha Atlas-esque Maya Nasri with her mood-drenched tune "Khallini Biljao," the mello electro sound of Sharif's "Shiraz" with its silky orchestrated backdrop / striking santoor playing and the "musette meets the Middle East" sound of "Astahel" from Nabiha Yazbeck.