It's an uphill battle, but Natacha Atlas is slowly gaining a foothold in the United States. Her last album, Gedida, sold respectably well, and expectations for Ayeshteni are clearly high. And they should be. Atlas is a world-class talent, and Ayeshteni is her strongest and most intriguing release to date.
For the Atlas-ignorant, a little bit of background: Atlas is of mixed European and Egyptian background, and spent some of her formative years in the UK. She first came to prominence as a singer and belly dancer with Transglobal Underground, a collective known for their multicultural music. Since launching her solo career five-odd years ago, she has experimented extensively with Western musical styles while at the same time developing a deeper interest in traditional Egyptian music. Most of her lyrics are written in Arabic, but she also sings in French. Ayeshteni also includes her second attempt at English vocals.
Ayeshteni's English-language song is a cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You". There have been some truly appalling covers of poor old "I Put a Spell on You" in the last few years, but Atlas's version isn't one of them. While there's no doubt that it can (and will) be viewed as the album's token novelty track, this "Spell" is a particularly bewitching mix of ancient and modern, designed by Atlas's Transglobal cronies. Arabic strings and wind instruments trade licks with turntable scratching, while sampled chants and full, rich beats provide a mesmeric rhythm. Atlas's vocal delivery flits between East and West, adding a strong measure of sand-swept sorcery to the scorned lover persona, occasionally lapsing into Arabic at key moments. Whether you like it or not, you'll be forced to admit that it's a striking new interpretation of the song.
Let's not forget that there are ten other songs here, all of them stunning. Exotic thrills abound; swirling strings and exotic Oud scales provide a constant reminder that Atlas isn't from "around here", while elements of electronica and hip-hop assert their modernity at every opportunity. "Soleil D'Egypte" bends a Big Beat to fit its undulating desert rhythm, and Atlas's French vocals float seductively in the background. Her cover of Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas" adds an almost unearthly femininity to the forlorn French pop song. The more traditional "Rah" offers moments of stark, gorgeous emotion, while "Manbai" is a starkly modern electronic track, full of lush ambience and frenetic, Ibiza-friendly beats.
It would, however, be interesting to see Atlas apply her Egyptian touch to some more non-traditional rhythms and song structures. To date, we've heard her tinker with rolling, undulating North African rhythmic patterns, club-style beats and the occasional hip-hop friendly drum loop. We've learned to expect her to favor a mid-tempo groove...but how would her favorite forms function if realized as disco, drum 'n' bass or low-fi rock? Repeat listens to Ayeshteni reveal a need -- or at least an opportunity -- for greater variation here, the better to avoid being lulled into half-sleep by familiar tempos.
On a broader scale, it's pleasing to see Atlas taking a more active role in her own creative process, gradually reducing the roles played by her regular collaborators. In her recent Splendid interview, she hinted at a wealth of ideas -- not only further exploration of traditional Egyptian forms and sounds, but experimentation with ambient, meditation-friendly music and a possible collaboration with rapper Missy Elliott. Thus, the real joy of Ayeshteni is the knowledge that, with four albums under her belt, Natacha Atlas is only starting to come into her own. Her career will be long and fascinating, filled with rewards for faithful listeners.
