Suleiman Al Shaar

Dabkat Ras Al Sinnah (New Year's Eve Dabke)

• Lesh Al Harb (Why Run Away?)
• Ya Teir Al Tayer (Oh, Flying Bird)
• Asmar Habeeb Al Roh (The Brunette is Love of My Soul)

• Gheirak Ana Mali (I Don't Have Anyone Apart From You)
• La La (No No)

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This cassette captures a New Year's Eve party from 1999, performed by Suleiman Al Shaar, one of the most prominent shaabi singers from Tartous. Al Shaar demonstrates his fluency in various forms of Syrian shaabi, with a distinctive vocal timbre instantly recognizable and a light Tartous accent that adds a charming touch to his songs. He is accompanied by a fast, high-energy arrangement driven by keyboards, perfectly matching the celebratory, danceable mood of a New Year's Eve party. Al Shaar hails from the village of Fajleet in rural Tartous and began his career in the early 1990s when he was discovered by sound engineer Bassam Zeidan, founder of Al Arz Records. Zeidan recorded many of Al Shaar’s concerts, weddings, and private cassette albums. Alongside Zeidan, Syrian shaabi poet Talib Shahoud has been a key figure in Al Shaar's journey and influence, writing numerous mawals and atabas for him. Shahoud's contributions helped Al Shaar build a substantial repertoire of original songs in addition to the traditional works he revives in his performances.