Ana Hina
Ana Hina (Arabic: أنا هنا, English: I'm Here) is an album by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. It was released by World Village on 26 May 2008. The album primarily features acoustic cover versions of songs originally performed by Arabic singers Fairuz and Abdel Halim Hafez. It was also influenced by Scottish and Latin music.[1] The song "He Hesitated" appeared in the 2009 film Amreeka.[2]
| Ana Hina | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 May 2008 | |||
| Genre | World music | |||
| Label | World Village | |||
| Producer | Harvey Brough Recording Engineer=Alejandro Merola | |||
| Natacha Atlas chronology | ||||
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Songs and background
Many of the songs on the album were culled from her father's personal tape collection by Atlas's music director, Harvey Brough.[3] The lyrics to "La Vida Callada", a duet with Spanish singer Clara Sanabras, are based on a poem composed by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.[4] "Black is the Colour" is a traditional Scottish folk song.[1] Atlas' version is loosely based on Nina Simone's cover version and features a Middle Eastern musical arrangement.[3] The song "He Hesitated" refers to the Iraq War; Atlas has openly criticized the foreign policy decisions of former United States President George W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.[3] The track "El Nowm" was inspired by Lebanese composer Zad Moultaka's album Anashid.[5]
Critical response
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |   |
| The National | |
| The Times | |
Ana Hina received positive reviews from music critics. In a review for The Guardian, Robin Denselow called the album a "mature, varied and entertaining set".[1] The Times reviewer David Hutcheon described Ana Hina as "rather wonderful" and named "La Vida Callada" as its best song.[4] Youssef Rakha of The National wrote that the album "is a powerful statement about being in the world today, a musical monument to globalisation" and further commented that its "effect is both refreshing and disorienting".[9]
Track listing
| # | Title | Songwriters | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Ya Laure Hobouki" | Rahbani Brothers | 4:22 |
| 2 | "Beny Ou Benak Eih" | Mamoun AlShinnawy, Kamal AlTaweel | 4:12 |
| 3 | "Ana Hina" | Natacha Atlas, Harvey Brough | 5:12 |
| 4 | "La Shou El Haki" | Rahbani Brothers | 3:18 |
| 5 | "Black is the Colour" | John Jacob Niles | 4:07 |
| 6 | "Le Teetab Alayi" | Rahbani Brothers | 3:20 |
| 7 | "La Vida Callada" with Clara Sanabras | Frida Kahlo, Clara Sanabras | 5:04 |
| 8 | "Hayati Inta Reprise (Hayatak Ana)" | Atlas, Brough, Marc Eagleton | 6:26 |
| 9 | "El Asil" | Emam ElSaftalli, Aly Ismael | 2:03 |
| 10 | "Lammebada" | Traditional | 7:10 |
| 11 | "He Hesitated" | Atlas, Brough, Eagleton | 4:19 |
| 12 | "El Nowm" | Atlas, Brough | 5:45 |
Charts
| Charts (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums Chart | 162[10] |
References
- Denselow, Robin. "CD: Natacha Atlas, Ana Hina". The Guardian. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
- "About the Filmmakers". National Geographic Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
- Michel, Sia. "Appalachian and Arabic, and a Bit of Politics". The New York Times. 18 September 2008. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- Hutcheon, David. "Natacha Atlas: Ana Hina Review". The Times. 24 May 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
- "Songlines Magazine Podcast 52" (Podcast). Songlines Magazine. 24 April 2008. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- The Guardian review
- The National review
- The Times review
- Rakha, Youssef. "Ana Hina - Natacha Atlas & The Mazeeka Ensemble (World Village)". The National. 9 September 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
- (in French) "Discographie Natacha Atlas". LesCharts.com. eMedia Jungen. Retrieved 26 October 2008.