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<title>Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</title><link>http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link><description>Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</description><category>Middle East</category><language>en</language><ttl>720</ttl><pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:08:02 -0800</pubDate><image>
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<title>Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</title>
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<title>Yael Naim</title>
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<category>Indie Pop</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:54:25 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[According to lore, it was Steve Jobs himself who chose "New Soul" from Yael Naim's self-titled sophomore LP for a ubiquitous Apple laptop commercial, thus handing the French-Israeli singer songwriter an instant, international audience. Born in Paris, Naim spent most of her childhood in Israel where she began studies of the piano at the age of 10 and performed with a group called the Anti Collision. She signed her first contract with EMI in 2000 and made her first solo record, <i>In A Man's Womb</i>, in 2001. Some five years later she set to work with multi-instrumentalist David Donatien on the self-titled follow up, recording it mostly in a Paris apartment. A blend of folk, pop and jazz elements were the backdrop for her songs sung in French, English and Hebrew, with the resulting album being released on French indie label Tot ou Tard. The record received quiet praise after its 2007 release, but entered the <i>Billboard</i> Top 10 shortly after its inclusion in the aforementioned commercial.
- Nate Cavalieri]]></description>
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<title>Natacha Atlas</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4542&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>World Pop</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 9 Oct 2009 10:32:37 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Natacha Atlas captures an ethereal, otherworldly sound that renders even symphonic backup impotent in comparison with her insistent, vibrato-laden vocals. Meshing North African tonalities with transcendent orchestration, Atlas is helping to define a new world music that relies equally on Techno tricks and indigenous folk forms. A lead singer for the TransGlobal Underground for years, Atlas struck out on her own in 1995 with the album <I>Diaspora</I>, and has cut several CDs since. As her career grows, Atlas' lovely voice will no doubt mature, as will her wide-ranging stylistic interests. One to watch.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
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<title>Idan Raichel Project</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11153612&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>World Pop</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Sep 2009 10:32:55 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Idan Raichel was under no mandate to become a musician. Born in Israel to an Ashkenazi family that wasn't particularly musical, Raichel nevertheless took up instrument after instrument: he studied the accordion as a kid, played jazz in high school and used his mandatory two-year army service to join the Army rock band. When he left the Army, Raichel took a job in Tel Aviv counseling immigrant children, many of whom were Ethiopian Jews. Intrigued by Ethiopian culture, Raichel started seeking out bars that played Ethiopian music, and he quickly found himself introduced to music by greats like Mahmoud Ahmed and Aster Aweke. At the same time, he'd begun working as a session musician for some of Israel's bigger acts. When he finally decided it was time to make his own music, Raichel reached out to a number of musicians and ended up collaborating with over 70 artists. The result was <I>The Idan Raichel Project</i>, an album that combined Raichel's electronic know-how with Israel's stunning and under-recognized cultural diversity. Unorthodox and decidedly un-pop, the album made Raichel a sensation.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
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<title>Niyaz</title>
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<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 7 Oct 2009 12:12:49 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<title>Amr Diab</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.33678&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:38 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Egypt's heartthrob double-threat singer and actor doesn't exactly have humble origins. His dad was a high-up functionary in the Suez Canal Corporation, and after singing the Egyptian national anthem on the radio, Amr Diab ended up studying in Cairo at both the High-College for Arabic Music and the Cairo Academy of Art. But for all his privileges, Diab earned his success with his own gifts: movie-star good looks and unerringly ambitious, beautifully sung pop. After a string of unsuccessful albums, Diab broke through in 1987 with the hit song "Khalseen." Several hits the following year suggested he wasn't just a one-hit wonder, and Diab proved he was multitalented when he inaugurated his film career that year in <I>El Saginatean</I>. In 1990 Diab filmed what may have been the first music video in Arabic and began working with longtime producer Hamid El Shaeri. Over the years, Diab's producers have grown increasingly adventurous, embracing everything from Spanish guitar to house music. The result has rendered Diab a truly international sensation, landing his songs -- either on their own or as remixes -- on dancefloors around the world and even on a Brazilian TV show.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
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<title>Oum Kalthoum</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7631&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:45 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Oum Kalthoum may easily be Egypt's most important singer, period. More beloved than most Americans can even comprehend, Kaltoum's songs defined one of the most tumultuous periods in Egyptian history, as the country made its transition from British rule to freedom and self-governance. Singing in classical Arabic, Kaltoum began performing -- dressed as a boy -- at an early age to supplement her family's income. She went on to wide fame in the Arab world, interpreting songs with such passion, depth and finesse that crowds begged her to sing a single line repeatedly, sometimes for hours. To this day, Kaltoum's songs pervade Egypt, somewhat like Shakespeare in the English-speaking world. A true find on the Internet.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
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<title>Debbie Friedman</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.22852&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:34 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<title>Davka</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7896&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:23:56 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[A seamless fusion of Middle Eastern and Eastern European styles of Jewish music. Virtuosic, doina-like violin improvisations over droning cellos morph into swirling rhythms that feature dumbek and other Middle Eastern instruments.
- Noah Enelow]]></description>
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<title>Hossam Ramzy</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.29483&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Belly Dancing</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:04:24 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Hossam Ramzy is a prolific master Arabic musician who is renowned for dumbek (darbouka) drumming. He has worked with Jimmy Page on numerous Worldbeat projects and produced many traditional Arabic and Belly Dancing recordings on his ARC record label.
- Robert Leaver]]></description>
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<title>Omar Faruk Tekbilek</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16485&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Turkey</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 2 Oct 2009 11:02:16 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<title>Cheb Khaled</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8902&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Rai</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:08:34 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Khaled is the premier voice of rai in both France and Algeria. Born in the outskirts of Oran, Algeria in 1960, Khaled knew he wanted to play music as soon as he could talk. He grew up listening to rock and Moroccan music but it was rai, the much-maligned local music, that ultimately drew him in. Though he lacked family support, Khaled taught himself to play various instruments and was regularly cutting school to rehearse with his band by the age of fourteen. He dropped out of school before his fifteenth birthday and began releasing oodles of poorly recorded cassette tapes. Khaled was the first to replace violins with electric guitars in his band; when he included drum machines and synthesizers, his tape sales took off. In 1986 Khaled (known then as Cheb -- or "young" -- Khaled) was invited to perform in several European festivals; he soon released a debut single in France, "Hada Raikoum." Khaled moved to Paris in 1990 to escape the increasing fundamentalism that targetted Khaled and his colleagues for their "immoral" music. (Khaled's producer and several fellow singers would later be murdered in Algeria.) Khaled's commercial success in France was assured with the hit "Didi" off of 1992's <i>Khaled</i> and cemented by the massive hit "Aicha" from 1996's <I>Sahra</i>. Khaled has continued to experiment, dabbling in genres like reggae, hip-hop and zouk (among others) as the years go on.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
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<title>Fairuz</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16959&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:38:27 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[After Oum Kalthoum, Fairuz is possibly the Arab world's best-known singer. Unabashedly modern, Fairuz embraced all forms of music -- orchestral, European, and traditional Arabic -- and achieved a stylistic balance (underscored by her amazing voice) that spoke to millions. Though she was born in Beirut, Fairuz and her songwriting team, the Rahbani brothers, understood the importance of village folk music in the lives of the newly burgeoning urban population in the 1950s and '60s. She often sang of village life and romantic love and recorded lesser-known folk songs. Amazingly, Fairuz decided to stay in Lebanon throughout the civil war, though she seldom performed for political reasons. In 1994 she gave a well-received concert and returned to the world stage.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
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<title>Sezen Aksu</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7485095&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Turkey</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:01:28 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7485095&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Aksu's voice has shaped and defined Turkish pop for decades, ever since she released her first singles in the mid-1970s. While the multitalented Aksu's first single wasn't a massive success (she also acts, paints and dances), her next release, "The Years Unlived/Pardon Me," broke the doors open and a string of hits followed, extending through the 1990s. As she's matured as an artist, she's branched out from her traditionally-inspired pop, recording an album of Anatolian tunes and collaborating with Goran Bregovic on the Balkan-influenced album <I>Weddings and Funerals</I>. The outspoken singer is also a champion of human rights and the environment, and even produced a musical in 1982 in which she played seven different characters.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Bobby Morganstein</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.22264378&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:57:45 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.22264378</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.22264378</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Bobby Morganstein</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.22264378</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.22264378&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.22264378&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Ofra Haza</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4871&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:12 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.4871</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.4871</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Ofra Haza</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.4871</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4871&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4871&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Israel's first international pop star, Haza was one of the first divas of Worldbeat to emerge in the 1980s. Born to Yemenite refugees in Israel, a background in theatre led her to singing. Haza's gorgeous voice and mix of material made her popular in Europe, but more uniquely, also popular in the Arab world. Impassioned vocals and heavy percussion similar to that found in bellydance music distinguished her songs from their traditional Yemenite roots. Her deep vocal presence and smooth phrasing, notable for its sustained trills and soaring flights into higher registers, have been sampled by rappers and landed her in collaborations with western acts such as Sisters of Mercy, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and producer Don Was. Later in her career, Haza began to sing in English more; and while some of that music is dated by its production values (e.g., lightweight synthesizer tones), most of her work remains solid.
- Robert Leaver]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>David &amp; The High Spirit</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.21341&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 5 Sep 2009 11:20:47 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.21341</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.21341</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">David &amp; The High Spirit</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.21341</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.21341&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.21341&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Here is the quintessential wedding/bar mitzvah band! They can play Disco, Swing or rock and they perform stirring medleys of work by such artists as Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra and Kenny Rogers. The only thing they don't play is original music.
- Robert Leaver]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Rachid Taha</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.52347&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Rai</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:54:18 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.52347</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.52347</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Rachid Taha</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.52347</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.52347&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.52347&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Rachid Taha is a French/Algerian worldbeat artist and former DJ who has become a superstar in Arab nations and beyond with his take on the popular rai music styles. His latest ventures have involved a multicultural approach to dance music that liberally dips from traditional and progressive. You'll find everything from electric guitars to zithers to samplers in his music. He's also spent time recording with famed producer and ex-Gong guitarist Steve Hillage.
- Rachel Devitt]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Turbo Tabla</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5317507&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Belly Dancing</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:32:14 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.5317507</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.5317507</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Turbo Tabla</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.5317507</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5317507&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5317507&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Turbo Tabla take traditional Middle Eastern percussion and jazz it up with house beats and a distinctly modern sensibility. The Egyptian-born, Boston-based Karim provides the rhythmic inspiration; he usually performs with two bellydancers - one from Brazil and the other from the Dominican Republic.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Cheikh D. Remchaoui</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.54612&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 1 Jun 2009 08:30:27 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.54612</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.54612</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Cheikh D. Remchaoui</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.54612</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.54612&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.54612&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Paul Dinletir</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63053&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Belly Dancing</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:25:16 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.63053</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.63053</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Paul Dinletir</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.63053</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63053&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63053&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Mohamed Abdel Wahab</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.32880&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 09:56:15 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.32880</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.32880</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Mohamed Abdel Wahab</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.32880</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.32880&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.32880&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Faudel</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47257&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Rai</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:32:15 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.47257</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.47257</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Faudel</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.47257</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47257&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47257&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[At the tender age of twelve, Faudel fronted the band Les Etoiles du Rai, lovingly covering artists such as Cheb Mami. This eventually led to a solo career and higher profile gigs, which resulted in Faudel getting signed - all while still in his teens. Faudel definitely has the talent, and sounds stunning when performing.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Socalled</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7472115&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Indie Rap/Hip-Hop</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:29:32 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.7472115</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.7472115</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Socalled</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.7472115</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7472115&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7472115&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Canadian emcee and producer Socalled grew up as Josh Dolgin in Chelsea, Quebec, a small suburb in Ottawa with a population of about 6,700. There, he took piano lessons until high school, when he switched to the accordion. Sounds like your typical hip-hop career trajectory, right? Wait -- there's more. He also plays in multiple klezmer bands and conducts the Addath Israel choir, which performs on Jewish holidays. Oh, and he's a cartoonist and a magician, too. His debut solo album is perhaps best described as klezmer-hop; it samples from Yiddish theater recordings and is about, um, Passover. Yes, Socalled might sound like the nerdiest hip-hop head this side of Weird Al's cover of "Chamillionaire," but he also makes some of the flyest beats and spits some of the wittiest rhymes this side of the Red Sea. He has lent his skills as a pianist, singer, arranger, emcee, songwriter and producer to dozens of recordings in genres ranging from jazz to klezmer to hip-hop, and he has worked with everyone from Killah Priest to klezmer artist Susan Hoffman-Watts and violinist Sophie Solomon (their album <i>HipHopKhasene</i> funks up the Jewish wedding ceremony). So you better recognize, goyee.
- Rachel Devitt]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Googoosh</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47736&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:38:16 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.47736</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.47736</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Googoosh</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.47736</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47736&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47736&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Her story defies belief: Googoosh, born Faegheh Atashin, was one of Iran's most beloved divas, a pop singer who'd been performing since she was three years old. She starred in innumerable films and was internationally known for her classy, heart-baring music. Then the revolution happened, and the singer returned to Iran (she was out of the country at the time), where she was immediately barred from public performance for decades. She lived through the worst of the Iran-Iraq war, and she never challenged the regime that had silenced her. Finally, thanks to a loosening of control under the moderate Khatami administration, Googoosh, now in her fifties, has returned to the world stage. She's set to act in a film and she's given enough performances to realize that the world hasn't forgotten her: 12,000 fans showed up for a 2008 show in Toronto.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Mahmoud Ahmed</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.44937&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Africa</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:15:36 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.44937</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.44937</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Mahmoud Ahmed</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.44937</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.44937&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.44937&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Hakim</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60029&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 6 Jun 2009 08:29:40 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.60029</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.60029</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Hakim</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.60029</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60029&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60029&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[
- Rachel Devitt]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Andy Statman</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3468&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Klezmer</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 7 Sep 2009 09:55:28 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.3468</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.3468</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Andy Statman</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.3468</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3468&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3468&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Statman is a versatile musician who's made his mark pursuing a range of seemingly non-related directions over his twenty-plus year career. He began playing Bluegrass mandolin in the 1970s and soon turned his attention to Klezmer, investigating his Jewish roots and studying with legendary clarinetist Dave Tarras. He has also cited the influence of jazz musicians John Coltrane and Albert Ayler, most evident in the spiritual nature of records including the exploratory <I>Between Heaven and Earth</I> as well as more meditative, polished fare such as <I>The Hidden Light</I>. His Bluegrass output is similarly varied, ranging from the spirited hoedowns of <I>Andy's Ramble</I> to the more experimental <I>Mandolin Abstractions</I>, recorded with frequent partner David Grisman.]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Ebi</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6568&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:55:22 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.6568</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.6568</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Ebi</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.6568</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6568&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6568&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Arash</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10620687&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:31:47 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.10620687</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.10620687</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Arash</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.10620687</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10620687&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10620687&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Chicago Klezmer Ensemble</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.12186629&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 7 May 2009 09:56:56 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.12186629</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.12186629</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Chicago Klezmer Ensemble</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.12186629</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.12186629&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.12186629&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Marwan Abado</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15951611&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 7 Jun 2008 07:05:36 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.15951611</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.15951611</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Marwan Abado</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.15951611</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15951611&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15951611&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Amina</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17125&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:19:17 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.17125</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.17125</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Amina</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.17125</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17125&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17125&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Hamza El Din</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63067&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 6 Oct 2009 09:54:17 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.63067</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.63067</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Hamza El Din</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.63067</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63067&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63067&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Born in Nubia in an area that now lies under water thanks to the Aswan Dam, Hamza El Din is perhaps the greatest player of the Arabic stringed instrument called the oud. When El Din heard about the Dam he left his studies in Cairo and returned to Nubia, where he wandered with his oud and learned traditional songs. His first recording, released in 1963, established a new form of Arabic folklore. He continued playing and composing modern versions of traditional Nubian music in Europe and later in America and Japan. El Din, who has performed extensively in Europe, America and Japan, frequently opened for the Grateful Dead, whose fans embraced his regal Arabic voice, gentle elegance, and sheer virtuosity. Most of his music features only oud, vocals, and the taar, a large framed hand drum. He now calls Oakland, Calif., home.]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Warda</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7724&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Classical Arabic</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:11:58 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.7724</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.7724</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Warda</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.7724</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7724&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7724&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Noa</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8604&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>World Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 4 Feb 2009 14:43:48 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.8604</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.8604</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Noa</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.8604</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8604&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8604&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[The Middle East meets Bob Marley in this heavily bowdlerized version of "Get Up, Stand Up." The female singer crashes into Arabic monologues while a dumbek stutters beautifully in the background, transforming the reggae to Rai.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Kayhan Kalhor</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.25064&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:02:44 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.25064</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.25064</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Kayhan Kalhor</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.25064</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.25064&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.25064&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Shlomo Artzi</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7547208&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:08:03 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.7547208</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.7547208</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Shlomo Artzi</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.7547208</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7547208&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7547208&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Shabbat</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27996750&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2009 08:57:52 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.27996750</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.27996750</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Shabbat</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.27996750</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27996750&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27996750&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Gamal Gommaa</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63058&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Belly Dancing</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:01:48 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.63058</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.63058</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Gamal Gommaa</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.63058</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63058&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63058&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Simon Shaheen</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55050&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 9 Jun 2009 09:32:19 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.55050</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.55050</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Simon Shaheen</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.55050</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55050&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55050&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[A dedicated student of traditional Arabic music, Simon Shaheen has done much to open the ears and eyes of western audiences to the wide-ranging variances of this art form. In addition to performing for universities and workshops, Shaheen has recorded various film scores and improvisational recordings. His musical virtuosity with both the violin and oud, as well as his compositional talents, have even branched into jazz and classical in the music of his group, Quantara.]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Bijan Mortazavi</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27695&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:55:23 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.27695</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.27695</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Bijan Mortazavi</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.27695</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27695&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27695&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Chava Alberstein</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17127&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 5 Apr 2009 17:22:02 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.17127</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.17127</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Chava Alberstein</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.17127</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17127&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17127&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[
- Rachel Devitt]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Azam Ali</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39388&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Ethnic Fusion</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 1 Jul 2009 13:33:58 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.39388</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.39388</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Azam Ali</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.39388</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39388&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39388&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Cheb Mami</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37884&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Rai</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:21:35 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.37884</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.37884</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Cheb Mami</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.37884</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37884&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37884&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Cheb Mami, thanks to his vocal performance on Sting's "Desert Rose," is a rising international pop star. In France, his adopted home, he is already well recognized by a public that includes many other Algerian expatriates. His voice flows smoothly through Arabic scales, at times soaring to a high range like a bird takes to flight. Combining traditional Algerian musical forms (such as wedding songs) with world class dance production that rides the funk, Rai music is the modern sound of the Arab world -- cosmopolitan yet rooted in ancient form. After years of popularity in the Algerian community, but unable to perform due to death threats, he finally sang in his homeland in a landmark concert attended by over 150,000 people.
- Robert Leaver]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Mohammed Abdel Wahab</title>
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<category>Classical Arabic</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 9 Oct 2009 10:32:54 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description />
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<title>Shadmehr Aghili</title>
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<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 2 Jan 2009 08:38:02 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Shadmehr Aghili</rhap:artist>
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<title>Ragheb Alama</title>
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<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:38 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Ragheb Alama</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Hugely popular Lebanese pop music vocalist whose rise to fame began in the early '80s and has continued to escalate over the course of more than fourteen albums. The music is a heavily danceable mixture of traditional rhythms and heavily synthesized and produced effects.]]></description>
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<title>Oojami</title>
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<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:31:14 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<title>Alihan Samedov</title>
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<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:46:15 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Alihan Samedov</rhap:artist>
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<title>Abdel Halim Hafez</title>
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<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 1 Aug 2009 10:41:53 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=490&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle East Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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