Lebanese Legend Tania Saleh Returns With New Folk Song ‘Ya Reit (I Wish)’

Since her debut in 1990, Tania Saleh has been one of the instrumental forces of change within the Lebanese alternative scene, having traversed through numerous genres including folk, alt-rock, bossa nova, electronic music, and jazz over the course of her storied career.

On ‘Ya Reit (I Wish)’, Saleh channels the social and political turmoil of her home country into a dreamlike folk song, centered around fantasy of building a more peaceful home for her people on some distant planet, one “with no sand” and “no gold” to fight over.

The instrumental for ‘Ya Reit (I Wish)’ echoes folk legends Simon and Garfunkel, and melds mellow acoustic guitar noodling (courtesy of Ziad El Helou) with soft harmonies reminiscent of the softer sides of Led Zeppelin, alongside a healthy dose of subtle, organic middle-eastern percussion. 

The music video, illustrated and animated by Tania Saleh herself, is a stunningly trippy dive into the world spun by her evocative lyrics, somewhere between an underwater dreamscape and a faraway interplanetary adventure. 

Overall, ‘Ya Reit (I Wish)’ is an excellent return to form for the Lebanese legend, and here's hoping it paves the way for another stunning album like her 2017 LP Intersection.