Ziad Rahbani - Abu Ali (1978)

Composed, Arranged & Conducted by: Ziad Rahbani,
Lefteris Tzimas: Drums,
Costas Nicolopoulos: Electric Guitar,
Angelos Botsis: Bass Guitar,
Issam Haj Ali: Spanish Guitar,
Ziad Rahbani: Keyboards and Synthesizer,
Tewfik Farrukh: Saxphone,
Michel Baklook - Setral Sarkissian:Oriental Percussion [Tabla],
Joseph Karkoor: Oriental Flute [Ney],
Ziad Rahbani: Buzok,
Joseph Sacre: Voice.

Strings, Brass and Woodwind: Members of Symphony Orchestra.
Recorded and Mixed at Columbia - EMI Recording Studios, Greece.
Engineer: Stelios Yannakopoulos,
Assisant Engineers: Dimitris Kannis - Yannis Papaioannou,
Sound Advisor: Zuhair Samhoun,
Project Organised by Nicos Kanellopoulos - George Makzoumeh,
Produced by Khatchik Mardirian.

Concept: George Makzoumeh,
Art Direction (Logo & Sleeve Design): George E.Kaldellis,
Special Thanks to: Nicos Kanellopoulos, Dalal, Heike, Litsa, Soula and everyone at EMI Greece.

[elen]

took me forever to confirm this, but i finally did! the "abu ali" in question is abu ali mustafa, one of the founding members of the popular front for the liberation of palestine (the communist group operating in palestine). apparently he and ziad had a mutual friend, and this mutual friend at one point told him about a mission abu ali had gone on. this song is a musical representation of that song -- driving a jeep through the mountains in the night, avoiding the enemy, the jeep breaking down for a bit, you can hear it all in the song (there's even a subtle engine noise that comes through at one point).

abu ali mustafa became the leader of the PFLP in 2000. less than a year later, israeli forces sent a rocket through the window of his office. today, the military wing of the PFLP is called the brigade of the martyr abu ali mustafa in his honor.

it's such an incredible track, but knowing that background makes your so much more incredible/meaningful, in my opinion. i had long suspected this to be the case, mostly because of ziad's background as a communist and his commitment to palestinian liberation, but to find out that it goes even deeper than that is a real treat.

[SAFAH]

Thank you marhaba dawle for using this masterpiece

[bearelease]

Greetings from Türkiye... Ziad is the best Arabian musician in my opinion.

[the-th]

The mixture of jazz, oriental Arabic music and psychedelic vibes with some funk touches in between transitions is absolutely brilliant
This is an absolute masterpiece

[chahinebinsaleh]

يا الله شنو هذا الجمال! وين كنت طول هالوقت عن هالمقطوعة؟!

[mhearissa]

كل حدا فينا عندو ابو علي بمثل الرثاء هاد
عظيم يا زياد وخالد بالحياة
12 April 2023

[maable]

when your mother Fairuz and your father is Asi, you get Ziad. He was 22 years old when he released this master piece. He probably wrote it when he was younger.

[conspireality]

30 seconds in and I can tell this is going to be mindblowing... hope I'm right!

[georgiy]

Im Armenian living in USA and i should say this music is gold!

[lenahazaranian]

I heard this amazing music first in 1980 and it is still amazing now I listen to it in 2024. Ziad you are genieus.

[supermad]

I cry everytime I listen to this, I'm not sad, it's just so good.

[ma]

I have been listening to this masterpiece for more than 20 years and never got old. At 21 years writing this why it is not assumed a miracle?

[zorrozorro]

تحية كبيرة ل زياد
كم كنت اسهر على هذا الكاسيت
فترة المراهقة
عظيمة هذه الموسيقى بشكل مدهش

[fktl]

٢٢/١٢/٢٠١٩
وما زال لهذه الموسيقى اثر في قلبي...
يا

[NoName-eipe]

4:21

يا أمي! خطير!! خطير إنت يا ذياد!!!💔❤️♥️

[f.l.]

Notre Ziad est si peu populaire en Occident, nonobstant son immense talent, qu’au début je ne savais pas qu’il était le fils de Fairouz, notre artiste qui a tout compris et qui a dépassé les querelles d’églises.

Vive l’avenir Vive l’avenir plus clément pour tous ceux qui ne croient plus en rien à cause de l’avidité et /où de la méchanceté de leurs semblables. En fait l’avidité est pire que le méchanceté .

« Allah kbir »quoi qu’il en soit, Pour les rétributions n’ayons crainte: Ou on sait la manifestation et on comprend où on patauge dans l’obscurantisme et on continue à se rendre pour des Dieux tandis que…
´´
Je ne compte plus les peines injustes, les faims immondes, les injustices monstres.

[salehrifai]

Love you Ziad ! Hope you feel and understand that the music you have made is being played in the Basque Country in 2022. 44 years after the sensational moment you composed this masterpiece.

[DantexSmith]

Bro was fr 22 and wrote this masterpiece

[scorpiodoro]

The legend of music ! Ziad the genius!

[heroooo]

سمعتها اول مرة في باروميتر/ بيروت ٢٠٠٣ ...بقيت عالقة بالذاكرة وتذكرني في بيروت وجمالها وروعة أهلها