Omar Souleyman Essentials

Here's the thing about Omar Souleyman: He's not doing anything radically different from other dabke artists around the Arab world—he just happened to get Western attention thanks to a comp Sublime Frequencies released. But that in no way diminishes his fame or talent. Thanks to him, this insistent, hypnotic dance music now has a platform, even an edge of cool (yes, electronic artists have come knocking). But Souleyman sticks to what he does best: songs of love and heartbreak, sung with gruff force over an insistent dance beat and wailing instruments that never seem to settle down.