Gloriously carrying Abade Al Johar’s substantial legacy into the new millennium, 2009’s Awfa Al Khalg is packed with dramatic intros and sublimely poetic, string-powered verses as the artist dexterously weaves through the achingly beautiful “Awl Lila” and the exuberant Khaleeji feast of “Haza Yekfini”. Still, an undeniable highlight comes midway through the album, as the renowned Octopus of the Oud takes centre stage for an almost 10-minute masterclass in “Tighib El Nas”—a stripped-down, sorrowful plea to his beloved that serves to heighten the emotional tension, without any orchestral ornaments.