Ahmad Tilawi

Al Atshana Party

• Ya Wal Beik Andam (Oh Kid, You Make Me Regret It)
• Dalona
• Ma Aznak Ya Daher Khayen (I Don't Think Time Will Betray me)
• Ya Bent Hobek Ramani (Your Love Hunts Me)

• Sagoni Kasten (They Gave Me Two Drinks)
• Ya Hal Mogbel Alena (You Who Came To Us)
• Hen alhawahda
• Lansblek Shader (I'll Put Up a Tent For You)

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In this typical wedding party cassette, to the extent that it begins with a warning against firing ammunition into the air, young Ahmad Tilawi presents a series of performances of shaabi and mawal heritage, dominated by slow and immersive singing, such as his sprawling performance of the folk classic, “Dalona”, which occupies the first third of the cassette's first side. Throughout the recording, Tilawi is accompanied by a minimalist arrangement that keeps the focus on his voice, with only the rebab competing for the spotlight, complementing his voice and giving it a nice dynamism. The cassette was released by Master Cassette recordings, based in Jerusalem, Palestine. The label established a strong reputation in Levantine shaabi music with its extensive collection of wedding and party recordings, which it began assembling in 1998. To date, Master Cassette has published over 14,000 videos on its YouTube channel, which boasts a following of more than half a million listeners. Ahmad Tilawi comes from the city of Saraqib in Idlib governorate. He achieved great fame and popularity in the Syrian shaabi scene in the 1980s and 1990s – performing tirelessly at weddings and private parties. Tilawi lived his entire life in his home city and never left until armed clashes forced him out.