Brought to the masses by the Berlin-based label Habibi Funk.
Berlin-based record label Habibi Funk have shared the sixteenth instalment in their storied and informative reissue campaign of albums from Arabic-speaking counties, this time shining a light on the solo output of Lebanese singer-songwriter Rogér Fakhr.
Locally revered, Fakhr was a calling card for musicians within his native Beirut during the 1970s where he served as a sideman for figures such as Issam Hajali, Ziad Rahbani and Fairouz whilst also honing his own haunting brand of balladry.
Habibi Funk first established their working relationship with Fakhr in 2020 when seeking to include two of the musician’s songs on a compilation developed for the Lebanese Red Cross as a fundraising effort in the aftermath of the port explosion of that year. Shortly thereafter Fakhr consented to a broader release of his works, comprising never heard before compositions alongside those featured on a hand-copied cassette tape release that was distributed in small numbers among friends several decades ago.
A trove of enchanting blues, jazz and psychedelia-flecked folk compositions that echo the musical language of 1960s and 1970s Laurel Canyon, stream Habibi Funk 016: Fine Anyway in its entirety below and purchase the album on physical formats here.
Words by Sam Wilkinson.
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Fruit and Grooves Collective 