ARRAS
Mohamed Arafa
LM029-2

Haig Yazdjian: Arrangements & production

tracks No 3, 7 & 15 produced by Spyros Galatis

Composers: Haig Yazdjian, Michalis Touratzidis, Nikos Papadopoulos, Stavros Pazarentsis, Babis Kemanetzidis, Yiotis Kioutsoglou, Evripidis Nikolaidis & 6 Traditional songs from Armenia, Lebanon, Syria & Egypt

Mohamed Arafa: voice, vocals, percussion - Haig Yazdjian: voice, vocals, oud, chubus, mandura, keyboards - Nihad Najar: vocals - Iraklis Vavatsikas: accordion - Michalis Touratzidis: accordion - Babis Kemanetzidis: kementse - Romeos Avlastimidis: kementse, violin - Panos Dinitrakopoulos: kanun - Zisis Kasiaras: violin - Periklis Papapetropoulos: saz - Thanasis Vasilopoulos: clarinet - Vahan Galstian: duduk - Harris Labrakis: ney - Stavros Pazarentsis: clarinet, zournas, ney - Nikos Papadopoulos: tzouras, baglamas, keyboards - Yiotis Kiourtsoglou: bass

The first album of the best percussionist in Greece

Mohamed was born in Alexandria in 1966. From a very young age he began playing the darabouka. In 1989 he came to Greece where he began his professional career. He has cooperated with the biggest names in the record industry in various types of Greek music. In the period '95-'99 he was a member of the group of Haig Yazdjian. During the same period he participated in the concerts of the group of Michalis Nikoloudis and Omar Faruk Tekbilek. He has cooperated with Charoula Alexiou, Yiannis Parios, Anna Visy, Pashalis Terzis and many others. Now he is a member of the group of Makis Ablianitis.

Moving with ease from one side of the Greek music to the other, he has met many musicians. When he announced that he wanted to make a record, all his friends offered to give him compositions. Thus we can call ARRAS "Mohamed and his friends".

In the production of the album we find Haig Yazdjian who gives to the album the color of his sound. ARRAS may be Mohamed's first album, but it is Haig's fifth album, and this is obvious this from the first listening.

If somebody wants to relax or sleep, ARRAS isn't recommend. ARRAS is fire from the first to the last of the total 65 minutes. And of course focus to Mohamed's 3 solos and listen how a percussionist can play melody!

Percussion: durbakkeh, daf, bendir, dohol, tambourine, conga, bongos, bass drum, cymbals, bells, shakers, woodblock, jembe

1. Tamzara
2. Ah ya zen
3. Tiri Tiri
4. Tapis
5. Traveling East
6. Solo percussion I
7. Arras
8. Omal
9. Al ein
10. Hala Hala
11. Solo percussion II
12. Pyrihios
13. Ya al asmar
14. Dream
15. Arras (remix)
16. Solo percussion III
17. Tala al badr
18. Dawn

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