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<title>Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</title><link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link><description>Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</description><category>Middle Eastern Pop</category><language>en</language><ttl>720</ttl><pubDate>Sun, 6 Dec 2009 14:29:38 -0800</pubDate><image>
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<title>Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
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<title>Natacha Atlas</title>
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<category>World Pop</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 9 Oct 2009 10:32:37 -0700</pubDate>
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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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11153612&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>World Pop</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Sep 2009 10:32:55 -0700</pubDate>
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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>Amr Diab</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.33678&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:38 -0800</pubDate>
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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>Sezen Aksu</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7485095&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Turkey</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:01:28 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<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>
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<title>Ofra Haza</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4871&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:12 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<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>
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<title>Turbo Tabla</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5317507&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Belly Dancing</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:32:14 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<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>
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<title>Googoosh</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47736&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:38:16 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<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>
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<title>Hakim</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60029&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 6 Jun 2009 08:29:40 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[
- Rachel Devitt]]></description>
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<title>Ebi</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6568&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:55:22 -0800</pubDate>
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<title>Arash</title>
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<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:31:47 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<title>Amina</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17125&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:19:17 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<title>Chava Alberstein</title>
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<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 5 Apr 2009 17:22:02 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[
- Rachel Devitt]]></description>
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<title>Bijan Mortazavi</title>
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<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:55:23 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.27695&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Shadmehr Aghili</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18895765&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:35 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.18895765</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.18895765</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Shadmehr Aghili</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.18895765</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18895765&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18895765&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Oojami</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40461&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:31:14 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.40461</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.40461</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Oojami</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.40461</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40461&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40461&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Ragheb Alama</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.58871&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:38 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.58871</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.58871</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Ragheb Alama</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.58871</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.58871&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.58871&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<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>
</item><item>
<title>Afshin</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.19080653&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:39:30 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.19080653</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.19080653</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Afshin</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.19080653</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.19080653&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.19080653&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Tomer Yosef</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.22624712&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>World Pop</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:11:40 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.22624712</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.22624712</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Tomer Yosef</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.22624712</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.22624712&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.22624712&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[The skinny, hyperactive Tomer Yosef has pursued more careers in his short life than most people do in a lifetime. He started out as a stand-up comedian in his native Israel, but that gig quickly evolved into radio and TV work, including on a TV show called "Platefuls." Then the feature films came along, like they do. Naturally unsatisfied with all this free-flowing success, Yosef picked up and moved to New York City to test his mettle. It stood up to the strain. After teaming up with Tamir Muskat to produce his debut album, <I>Say Something</i>, in 2001, Yosef recorded vocals for Balkan Beat Box's "La Bush Resistance" on their 2004 debut. He became such a favorite that the group dragged him out on the road and he quickly became an indispensible part of that pan-global mischief-making ensemble. Yosef released his second solo album, <I>Laughing Underground</i>, in 2008.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Latifa</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.662&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:23:51 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.662</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.662</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Latifa</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.662</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.662&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.662&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Malouma</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.49640&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Afro-Pop</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:04:30 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.49640</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.49640</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Malouma</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.49640</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.49640&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.49640&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[From the North African country of Mauritania, Malouma's voice has a nasal tone and Arabic trill reminiscent of Youssou N'Dour. Her plaintive tone is offset by cheerful pop production that relies heavily on programming and keyboard.
- Robert Leaver]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Dana International</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11328890&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:13:18 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.11328890</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.11328890</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Dana International</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.11328890</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11328890&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11328890&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[
- Rachel Devitt]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>MBS</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7564058&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>International Hip-Hop</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 3 Mar 2009 17:38:53 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.7564058</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.7564058</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">MBS</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.7564058</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7564058&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7564058&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Think "Algerian music" and most people come up with the giants of rai: Cheb Khaled, Cheb Mami, Faudel, Chaba Zahounia, etc. But Mbs, aka Le Micro Brise Le Silence, are looking to change all that with their 2005 self-titled debut. Redone, Med, Rabah and Yacine know how to rap, channeling the best of American rap, from Biggie to underground artists, and filtering it through Arabic and French influences. The result is more sonically mature than much American hip-hop -- gorgeous Algerian traditional influences mingle with seriously strong flows. Mbs take on Algerian political and social problems, and while their critique is strong, they're also consistent peace advocates. Ones to watch.
- Sarah Bardeen]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Ihab Tawfik</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39217&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:25:08 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.39217</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.39217</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Ihab Tawfik</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.39217</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39217&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39217&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Mohamed Fouad</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.41127&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:08 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.41127</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.41127</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Mohamed Fouad</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.41127</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.41127&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.41127&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Mayada El Hennawy</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40906&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Classical Arabic</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 6 Dec 2009 09:55:47 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.40906</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.40906</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Mayada El Hennawy</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.40906</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40906&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40906&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Pharaoh's Daughter</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.54787&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>World Pop</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 7 May 2009 09:56:55 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.54787</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.54787</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Pharaoh's Daughter</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.54787</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.54787&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.54787&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Pharoah's Daughter are a Jewish folk ensemble heavily influenced by Eastern European Klezmer, Middle Eastern Jewish music, and jazz (Pharoah is a nod to jazz saxophonist Pharoah Saunders). The project is largely a byproduct of singer Baysa Schechter's multicultural upbringing, which is acknowledged in instruments such as oud, tabla and dumbek, as well in her graceful, haunting vocals, which are sung in Yiddish and Hebrew.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Aziza A</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15702&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>International Hip-Hop</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:23:55 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.15702</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.15702</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Aziza A</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.15702</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15702&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15702&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Long steeped in the language of political resistance, hip-hop has a way of speaking volumes to disenfranchised youth the world over, whatever their language. Such was the case with Aziza A, who may be the first German-Turkish MC. Born in Berlin to Turkish parents who had immigrated there three years before, Aziza turned first to Turkish pop music and later to hip-hop as a means of coping with and combating the racism towards Turks in Germany, where hip-hop is primarily the domain of immigrant youth. Pairing beats drawn from Turkish folk and classical music, German pop, and Euro-American dance music with smart social commentary rhymed primarily in Turkish, Aziza began using her music to address issues like xenocentrism, sexism and the one-dimensional portrayal of Turkish women in German society. Aziza's career itself has confounded nearly every stereotype: One of very few women in hip-hop in Germany, Aziza is also perhaps the only Turkish female public figure there. She was also the first Turk to appear as a presenter on a German television show, and she has hosted her own Turkish music radio show since 1998.
- Rachel Devitt]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Sawt el Atlas</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.54450&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:36:39 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Sawt el Atlas</rhap:artist>
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<title>Kazem Al Saher</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60448&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:07 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Kazem Al Saher</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Iraqi singer Kazem Al-Saher has a liquid voice that honey-coats just about every style of music he tackles, and there have been quite a few. From traditional Middle Eastern-influenced classical works to Arabic pop, Al-Saher has mastered them with unfettered abandon.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Walid Tawfic</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40907&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 16 May 2009 12:07:00 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Walid Tawfic</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40907&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
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<title>Ali Hassan Kuban</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16265&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:19:17 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Ali Hassan Kuban</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16265&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Having played for years in Cairo to ecstatic crowds of the young and the old, Ali Hassan Kuban leads one of the world's most popular Nubian wedding bands. By fusing traditional Arabic music played on the oud (a lute-like precursor to the guitar), hand drums (dumbek), violin, and reeds with everyday instrumentation (electric guitar, bass, keyboards, and horns), he has created a new form of modern music. His nasal-toned Arabic vocals glide over dense rhythm textures underpinned by bass that's downright funky at times. Reeds, horns and strings form complex layers of melody and harmony as they phase in and out of the arrangements. Whether played in a North African outdoor marketplace, a European discotheque, or at a wedding party, the response to Kuban's music remains the same -- it makes you groove.
- Robert Leaver]]></description>
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<title>Nawal Al Zoghby</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61217&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:25:16 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Nawal Al Zoghby</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61217&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
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<title>Dania</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38549&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Middle Eastern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:24:01 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Dania</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38549&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
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<title>Teapacks</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9333761&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Jewish/Israeli</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:51:34 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=61&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Middle Eastern Pop Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Teapacks</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9333761&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fworld-reggae%2Fmiddle-east%2Fmiddle-eastern-pop%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[
- Rachel Devitt]]></description>
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