My lifetime

Usually when I listen to any album for the first time, I always get stick with a specific song in the album. "Hayati" (My lifetime) was that song in Latifa's 2007 album (Ma'alomat Akeeda), it doesn't mean that it's the best song in the album but for some reason slow songs atracts me. It kinda remind me of her 1993 song Beyihsibooni (بيحسبوني) they thought; which I totally loved at the time and still loving it.
Recently I used that song as a background song for my first video clip uploaded on google video, It's embed below :)



DOWNLOAD the MP3 at 192 KBPS (Hosted by 4shared) Song name: Hayati (حياتي) - My lifetime Singer: Latifa (لطيفة) Song genre: Arap pop music/slow Album: Ma'alomat Akeeda (2007) معلومات أكيدة Lyrics by: Essam Hosny (عصام حسني) Translated by: Hanine Jaraiseh and radiant guy Composed by: Sherif Taj (شريف تاج) Arranged by: Jean-Marie Reyachi (جان ماري رياشي)


My lifetime just begun...
Before knowing you it was ordinary...
I never noticed what's going on nor felt anything around me....
Now I found someone who really care about me
My life was changed when I met you...
Come closer to my heart and always keep it that way...
Let me see the world through your eyes and live my dreams
Promise me when I need you; I'll always find you with me...
and I swear that I will belong only to you..
I've been through a lot before knowing you...
I don't want to live in grief anymore

Your love is everything to me...
I used to be afraid but not anymore...
You're love made me feel something I never felt before
My darling I feel my heart is safe with you...
My heart is happy and I feel you... It can't hide my feelings anymore
and tells me that I love you
My life was changed when I met you...
Come closer to my heart...
Let me see the world through your eyes and live my dreams

حياتي ابتدت من اللحظة دية...
و قبلك دنيتي كانت عادية...
ما كنتش حاسة بيها و لا باللي فيها...
دلوقت بقالي حد يخاف عليا
انا شكل حياتي تغير بيك...
قرب من قلبي كمان خليك...
خليني اشوف الكون بعنيك...
و اعيش احلامي
احلفلك عمري ما اكون غير ليك...
انا شفت كثير و قاسيت قبليك...
مش عايزة اعيش أحزان ثانية

انا كنت بخاف دلوقت خلاص...
حبك خلاني اعيش احساس...
عمري ما حسيت زيه عمري
فرحان بوجودك حاسس بيك...
ما قدرش يداري غرامه عليك...
بيقولي كلام مش بيخبي
انا شكل حياتي تغير بيك...
قرب من قلبي كمان خليك...
خليني اشوف الكون بعنيك...
و اعيش احلامي

Tribute to my late uncle Mosa

Tribute to my late uncle Mosa
Originally uploaded by radiant guy

It's already been a year, I still can't believe it.
May his soul rest in peace

Dedicated to my late uncle Mosa (1961 - 2006) who passed away last year on 8th of June 2006...It was the worst day of my life.

الفاتحة على روحه.

Distinct groups of Arab Music Genres

Once upon the time, I had a comment on one of my blogs from an American teacher requesting some Arab songs (specificlly folklore songs) for his students. I already know stuff about it but I thought to google it, I found nothing except short (mostley meaningless) comments in some forums. That's why I decided to blog some of what I know about it.

Almost all of Arab illegal music sites catogorize Arabic music into 4 or 5 distinct groups according to the singer's origin.
That could be great If you already know the singers nationalities but that would be totally meaningless If you know nothing about Arab music genres or singers.

Contemprary Arabic music could be catogorized into distinict groups according to the song's dialect or song's genre.

These names are not official but I will use them in my posts labels/tags.

Each group below consists of sub genres, I will not mention them all because I am not a music expert. I just wrote the ones below to let you know some basic information of contemporary Music in the Arab world.

Note. I will keep updating this post every now and then.

1. Grouping according to dialects

"Khaleeji" literally means "Gulfic" and it refers to music from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman .
Examples of "Khaleeji" music genres: "Samri", "Bahri", "Ekhbaiti", "Emrobi'e", "Classic"...Etc
Sometimes people includes Iraq and Yemen to "Khaleeji".

"Shami" and it refers to music from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. Example of "Shami" music genre: "Dabkah".
Sometimes people includes Iraq to "Shami".

"Iraqi" music, Personally I consider Iraqi music a separate group because they have their own unique dialect, rhythms and music instruments.

"Sharqi" and it refers to music from Egypt.Most of other Arab genres are heavily influenced with "Sharqi" music.
Example of "Sharqi" music genre: "Maqsoom".

"Magharibi" and it refers to music from Lybia, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania. Example of "Magharibi" music genre: "Rai" or "Raï".


2. Grouping according to music genres

ARAB POP MUSIC
This kind of music started in the 1980s by many Arab singers such As Latifa, Samira Said, Amr Diab and Raghib Allamah.
It's a mix of Arab and world's instruments, rhythms and beats.
Examples:

"Ma Etrohsh Ba'ed" (Don't go away) by Latifa (لطيفة)
"Wallahi Ma Tahaddi" (I swear I am not challenging) by Asalah (أصالة)
"Laily" (My night) by Dania (دانية)
"Shofto Be Aini" (I saw him with my own eyes) by Latifa (لطيفة) a mix of Disco and Oriental rhythms.


TARAB
ARAB TARAB was popular in the 1980s and earlier, this kind of songs are rarely performed by singers these days.
Tarab songs needs singers with powerful voices to perform them, they usually arranged using Arab Instruments only.
The Tarab songs usually have a long length, more than 10 minutes...Singers uses TARAB to show off their voices, they keep repeating the exact phrases differently each times.
Currently Asalah is the only one who perform this kind of genres (she perform the others genres too).

Example of "Khaleeji Tarab" music:
"Yis'ed Sabahak" (Good morning) by Asalah (أصالة)


SLOW MUSIC
It's a great way to deliver the feelings in the lyrics no matter what kind of feelings...
Despair, Romance, Melancholy, Longing, Missing...Etc
This is not an exclusive Arab Genre, but it's sometimes they mix it with Arab Instruments and that adds the Arab touch.

Examples of slow music:

"Inta Meen?" (Who are you?) by Angham (انغام)
"Betohashni" (I miss you) by Sherine (شيرين)
"Kefak?" (How are you?) by Baha'a (بهاء)
"Akdib" (I am lying) by Diana Haddad (ديانا حداد)
"Law Bassait Qoddamak" (If you looked in front of you) by Elissa (اليسا)



ORIENTAL "SHARQI" RHYTHMS (aka BELLY DANCE)
Known in the Arab world and Turkey, using Arab/Turkish rhythms with Arab and non Arab Instruments.

Examples of Sharqi rhythms:
"Ehlifli" (He promised) by Diana Haddad (ديانا حداد) with fast tempo
"Fe Gheyabak Anni" (During your absence) by Latifa (لطيفة) with slow tempo

KHALEEJI MUSIC
Khaleeji music is a music genre which consists of sub genres,the are used in six Arab states and they are (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman).

Samri, Ekhbaiti, Emroba'a, Bahri, Classic...Etc

Example of Samri music:

"Wainik Inta?" (Where are you?) by "Thekra or Zekra or Zikra" (ذكرى)

Ever seen a bracelet of light in a starry night!

As I said in my earlier post, the greatest open swimming spot in South of Kuwait was closed by Saudi Oil Company. So I went with my friend to find another spot (Eventually we didn't find one; well we did break in someone's under construction property but let's keep that our little secret LOL), anyway we had a road trip for an hour or so and we kinda lost our way so we entered a military base LOL

We didn't realised it until we reached the base's gate :D

So we had a U-turn and on the way back I saw the most amazing scenery for photography (If you don't know yet, I have a thing for starry nights, moons and long exposures), I am kinda dreamy :Pp~

Anyway I parked my car by the base and set my camera on the tripod as If that base owned by my father LOL...I took one photo with 7 seconds exposure (I can't recall for how long), but the stars weren't as bright as I wanted them to be, so I increased the exposure time to 15 seconds and took another one...At the time a car was coming toward us from the base; parked by us and a guy came out and said: "What are you doing here?"My friend replied: "We are taking some photos...He said "photos? of what? Can't you see the base over there?".

I said: "Yes, we came in by mistake, we were trying to find a new swimming spot but we didn't find one yet".

He said: "You shouldn't take photos by the base, it's crowded with Americans and they are about to leave".

I replied: "Well, I don't want to be invaded like Iraq and Afghanistan so I am going to leave".

And that was me being sarcastic :Pp~

I really wanted to take that photo with 30 seconds exposures, just out of curiosity not because I don't like the photo which I already captured and I am talking about the one shown above on my flickr not your ceiling you silly :Pp~

P.S. This photo look way better in reality, very magical :O

It's all OVER!

For the past few years, I've been going with some friends to a remote area in the south of Kuwait called "Al Zoor" (very close to Saudi/Kuwaiti border) to swim in the crystal clear sea, clear as you can see your shadow on the floor with jelly fish belly break around it (I am not kidding I did see jelly fish for real that day, they even bit me LOL... I ment ouch not LOL)!

The sea in Kuwait could be separated into 3 groups, North sea, Kuwait city sea and South sea.

- The north sea is muddy, you can not swim over there.
- Kuwait city sea is better than the north but the water isn't clear.
- The south sea (and some Kuwaiti islands) are the best place for swimming, the water is crystal clear, or Diamond clear!

This year I and my friend had a road trip to the south of Kuwait to find a new swimming spot since our usual one was closed, a Saudi oil company took over the place...It made me furious, Saudi Arabia is larger than probably 8275634972349 times...They don't need a free spot somewhere else to build whatever they want.

Other places around that spot are owned by Kuwaiti citizens, and no one can swim there and it's crowded with beach houses.

Now If you want to swim in a clean and clear water, you should own a beach house in the South of Kuwait or a Yacht to take you for an island such as "Kubbar" or "Qarooh".

It's way cheaper to travel abroad and enjoy the beach in South east Asia or maybe Madagascar and I am not talking about the cartoon which I and my 3 years old niece really love.

Photo above is unposed photo of me taken by a friend while I was fixing my stupid swimsuit :+

I've taken tons of photo but they doesn't show the water's clarity as this one.

IN THE BEACH

IN THE BEACH
Originally uploaded by radiant guy

So...last weekend I was going with some friends to the beach but they didn't go...So I decided to go alone with my MP3 player.
Some people thinks that I was bored, think again :Pp~

Anyway I had my camera with me and I decided to shoot a small video file...Many people already saw tons of my photos everywhere in the Internet but no body saw me chewing gum on the beach yet LOL

I created the video file and uploaded it on Google video, I also added a song that I really loved from Latifa's last album. The audio file length was longer than the video file so I added some photos...

Any idea what is this?

Any idea what is this?
Originally uploaded by radiant guy

It's really weird thing, I never knew about :+

That photo was taken on the beach one I went with a friend to their beach house 2 weeks ago....We had a walk on the beach and I saw some holes in the sand with those balls next to them, I asked him those balls looks great but what are they?!

He said cancers digs the sand then they get out of the hole throw these balls of sand out then go back again digging!

A CAT

A CAT
Originally uploaded by radiant guy.

Isn't she pretty?
It's been awhile since the last time I heard from her, she never call nor mail me :(

I still love her though :)

Recognize this?

Recognize this?
Originally uploaded by radiant guy.

I passed by that thing probably 1209873249873298 times, and in every single time I wanted to stop and take some photos but I never did until recently.
Hint: You will not figure it out unless you were Kuwaiti, probably some Kuwaities won't recognize it either LOL

MOON OF KUWAIT [HDR]

MOON OF KUWAIT [HDR]
Originally uploaded by radiant guy.

I was in the mood for HDR, it's been awhile since my last one....So I've been taking many photos with different exposures for the past 2 months. I just processed most of them and I am going to upload them later. Here is the first one.