PRODUCT DETAILS
Taking inspiration from hawala, a system of informal money transfers made to certain countries impacted by a lack of currency or unstable contexts. Megarbane spins this concept on its head, reimagining it as an artistic exchange spanning cultures, generations, and geographies. This spirit of creative movement is embodied in the album’s amalgamative nature, featuring contributions from an international lineup of artists, including London-based jazz vocalist Sahra Gure, Italian-Tunisian singer LNDFK, Neapolitan pianist Dario Bassolino, Berlin beatmaker and violinist FloFilz, and an 18-piece orchestral arrangement by Swedish composer Sven Wunder. Recorded across multiple locations, from Beirut to Brooklyn, Stockholm to a rural French commune, the album’s sonic journey mirrors its thematic premise.
Musically, the track list of Hawalat travels through a varied journey of textures and temperaments. The album’s opener, Hanadi, is a percussive, Somali-inspired groove with wordless vocals and soaring saxophone lines. Tracks like Al Dollarji and Al Bahriye encapsulate Megarbane’s signature Mediterranean sound, while Helia, performed with the Stockholm Studio Orchestra, showcases his cinematic sensibilities. Jana, an homage to the late Malian kora master Toumani Diabaté, sees Megarbane transform his guitar into a kora-like instrument, staying true to his commitment to experimentation.
Following Marzipan (2023), which took a look inwards at the heart of Lebanon, Hawalat expands further outwards, exploring themes of diaspora, exile, and artistic migration. “As much as Marzipan was a portrait of Lebanon from the inside, Hawalat picks up where it left off,†Megarbane explains. The album avoids nostalgic recreations of the past, instead situating itself comfortably in the present with a sound that is both timeless and contemporary.
Through Hawalat, Megarbane reaffirms his place as a global musical storyteller, allowing influences and traditions to cross borders and meet fluidity and spontaneity.
LP Includes booklet with unseen photos and liner notes by Armani Syed, and QR Code for MP3 download.
Tracklist:
- Hanadi
- Dreams of an Insomniac
- Al Dollarji
- Les Vents Dominants
- Al Bahriye
- Miramar
- The Invisible Cut
- Helia featuring Sven Wunder
- East of What
- La Calypso 02:41
- Hawalat
- Sfiha
- La Virgule Suspendue
- Preamble to the Conclusion
- Chou Ostak
- What Happened Next
- Jana
UPC: 673790037398
Label: Habibi Funk
Release Date: 5.2.25
Format: Vinyl Record
SHIPPING & RETURNS
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RETURNS
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PRODUCT REVIEWS
ABOUT US
For over 10 years, Pale Blue Dot Records has shared and supported your love of vinyl records. We are an independent online record store located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and we’re passionate about music, the vinyl community, and doing our part to protect the environment. Learn more about us here.
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package shipped well. there was a fragile sticker on the box which was nice, most places don’t put that and vinyls get damaged. package arrived in perfect condition.
Good packaging, product was in good condition and showed up on time great album no problems with any of the vinyls either very happy with it.
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Records arrived inside the special record boxes, unopened, and in pristine condition. They didn't very long to begin the shipping either. Some places make you wait 3-5 days just to have it shipped out. They did not.
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