Recording: Nadah El Shazly

Artist: Nadah El Shazly

Song: Palmyra

Recorded at Burdock Music Hall (The Music Gallery's Departures Series), April 18, 2019.

Nadah El Shazly - Palmyra

A packed room was buzzing in anticipation of Cairo-based Nadah El Shazly's experimental Egyptian pop. Bringing the tunes from her Ahwar album to life, her keyboard/electronic setup was augmented by Montréal's Thierry Amar (who also recorded the album) and saxophonist Brahja Waldman. That allowed for a wide range of textures veering from full-on electronics to more restrained acoustic interludes and moving from pop precision to ecstatic abandon.