"Enormously evocative, these recordings open the door to a cast of larger than life characters." fROOTS - PLAYLIST "A painstakingly compiled and copiously annotated compendium of sixteen rare sides. One can’t help but compare the rare recording to its equivalents in American Appalachian and country blues music of the time, except for one primary difference - those genres arose from rural life, these Egyptian sounds very much emanate from urban – and urbane – society. Saniyyah Hassaneyn’s “Ataftu Wardah Hamra” (I Plucked a Red Rose) – a vocal so burdened by the weight of the world that Bessie Smith or Billie Holliday could easily have made it their own." All Music Guide "A fascinating variety of vocal styles covering the spectrum from Upper-Egyptian to quintessential Paris." BBC Music Magazine