Various Artists

Ajmal Al Munawa'at Al Arabiyya (Best Mix of Arabic Songs)

• Khatar Al Bal (Crossed My Mind)
• Wajeh Al Saad (Happy Face)
• Al Sahra Tehla (The Night Becomes More Beautiful)
• Mabrouk Al Eid (Blessed Eid)
• Salamat (Greetings)
• Hal Zenat (These Beautiful Girls)

• Hal Zenat (These Beautiful Girls)
• Waddana (He Drove Us)
• Al Leila Al Leila (Tonight, Tonight)
• Ala Babi Wakef Kamaren (There Are Two Moons at My Door)
• Aleha Ahla Joz Oyoun (She Has the Most Beautiful Pair of Eyes)
• Wakef Ala Babkom (Standing at Your Door)

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This compilation tape captures the simultaneously strange and intriguing mood of 1980s Arab pop music, where influences from the classical tarab era intermingled with Western disco, producing songs that were both soulful and danceable, light and musically progressive. The tape focuses specifically on Egyptian and Lebanese pop, with songs by Nadia Mustafa, Ragheb Alama, and Melhem Barakat among others. The compilation was produced in the 1980s by Al Manara Discotheque, based in Aleppo, and offers a glimpse into how Syrian companies at the time curated 'cocktail' compilations of local and regional music. These tapes were typically assembled from vinyl records, reel‑to‑reel recordings, or other cassette releases, and organized by theme, region, or song popularity. A popular service at the time was preparing custom‑made compilations for customers who wanted to gift a personal tape to someone special. Special thanks to Alina Brennamen for generously donating this cassette to SCA – salvaged from a pile of discarded tapes in a garbage can on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles.