After finding success with ‘El Sauce’ and ‘Leila Marina’, one-of-a-kind Egyptian band, Kahareb, have released their long-awaited debut EP, Malhamet Debba; a bluesy album that follows the adventures of an uncontainable dog called Debba.
The story runs across seven unique tracks, each with its own sound and twist, some relating to each other. Opening track ‘Dabdoub’ sets up the beginning of the story, kicking things off in a wave of funk and an upbeat rhythm with an impressive shaabi lead solo.Then comes the surprising ‘Maleket El Gamal Interlude’, which sounds like something that came out of a B.B. King song with its jazzy piano and fine blues guitar riff and solo. ‘Bokhar’ and ‘El Mostakbal’ interludes act as a straight-up story being told with similar beats accompanying in the background. Harking back to the sounds of the 70s, ‘El-Eshk El Mamnou’ and ‘Matbosileesh’ are all about the retro Arab vibe. Finally comes in ‘Mateegy Taala’ brings to the album full circle, the track bearing similarities to the first. Kahareb are an impossibly intangible band, one whose witty lyrics and allround jovial and jolly nature position them quite uniquely on and Egyptan music scene that can often take itself far too seriously. As fans of Sharmoofers will tell you however, music needn’t be a drab affair - sometimes it can just be fun.
