Albums to watch

Wenu Wenu

Omar Souleyman

Wenu Wenu

The legend of Syrian dabke folk pop music, with some 500 mixtapes, bootlegs and cassette records to his name, makes his official studio debut, produced in Brooklyn by Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) accompanied by keyboard player Rizan Sa'id

ADM rating[?]

7.6

Label
Ribbon Music
UK Release date
21/10/2013
US Release date
22/10/2013
  1. 9.0 |   musicOMH

    At a time when so little that is warm, life-enhancing or joyous seems to be emanating from Syria, this – surely – can only make the wonderful music that he provides even more of a wonderful thing
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  2. 9.0 |   Fact

    While some people may prefer the lower fidelity grit of their cassette releases, Four Tet has done a solid job in making Syria’s underdogs a heavyweight force
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  3. 8.5 |   The Quietus

    This music transcends barriers of language and culture, able to inspire fans in both East and West - and at the same time, can help dissipate those increasingly outdated divides

  4. 8.0 |   Time Out

    Genuinely is a contender for the dance album of the year because, apart from anything else, it’s massive fun to dance to
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  5. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Producer Kieran Hebden has wisely left off altering the singer's hyper-rhythmic, hip-rolling dabke-techno hybrid too much. Print edition only

  6. 8.0 |   Spin

    A simple thing you've never heard before
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  7. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Approach this record with an open mind and you'll be surprised at how easily you can get caught up in it
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  8. 8.0 |   All Music

    Sa'id's trademark keyboards are completely mind melting; his virtuoso pitchwheel acrobatics are manic; his textured rhythms link lyrics and melodies so precisely that even in odd time and key signatures they are compulsively irresistible
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  9. 8.0 |   The Fly

    Thanks to the sheer joy with which he performs it (produced here for the first time by Kieran Hebden), it’s irresistibly, inevitably satisfying
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  10. 8.0 |   NME

    His music is a blast – a high-speed collision of folk tradition and electronic instrumentation
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  11. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    World music? More like out of this world music
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  12. 8.0 |   Q

    Quite unlike any other record you'll hear this year. Print edition only

  13. 8.0 |   Uncut

    That it also captures the chaos of his live show is no small achievement
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  14. 7.5 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    It’s Souleyman’s vocals that ground the music, and makes the album both so penetratingly exciting and foreign
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  15. 7.5 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    You don’t need to understand the lyrics to appreciate Wenu Wenu and know that it speaks of love, hope and dreams. This is a record that moves and moves
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  16. 7.2 |   Pitchfork

    The music here can compete against any kind of dance music being made right now, and succeed
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  17. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    This is party music, to be sure – it's a hot, fresh and, given our domestic Arab-phobia, radical sound
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  18. 7.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    Insane dance party music
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  19. 6.0 |   Under The Radar

    Indeed, this is supposed to be dance music and with that in mind, this is some rather bumping stuff
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  20. 6.0 |   Evening Standard

    It’s the music of regional weddings transposed to a festival stage or nightclub
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  21. 6.0 |   The Observer

    Happily for purists, Hebden doesn't tamper with the duo's mojo
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Omar Souleyman: Wenu Wenu

  • Download full album for just £5.49
  • 1. Wenu Wenu £0.89
  • 2. Ya Yumma £0.89
  • 3. Nahy £0.89
  • 4. Khattaba £0.89
  • 5. Warni Warni £0.89
  • 6. Mawal Jamar £0.89
  • 7. Yagbuni £0.89
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