SHIRAN Releases Melodic ‘Glsah Sanaanea with Shiran’ Album
An album bursting with rich culture and excellent musical craft. SHIRAN’s musical landscape has been inspired by her beloved grandmother’s many stories and experiences. She travelled from Yemen to Israel in 1949 as part of her ‘Aliyah’, searching for the Jewish homeland.
“We have had to wait decades for anything of this quality”
Songlines ★★★★★
It was 2018 since SHIRAN’s breakout and self-titled debut album in which she saluted her cherished family home of Yemen, singing songs in both Arabic and Hebrew, from her base in Tel Aviv.
With her new album Glsah Sanaanea with SHIRAN, the connection with Yemen delves further. Shiran breathes familiar but new life into Yemeni traditional songs in a stripped back and acoustic set with a backdrop of string, wind and percussion instruments like the oud, kawala, and kanun. Where her first album used various western pop tropes and synthesis, her latest tows a much more modest line in respect of the original songs and compositions some of which date back hundreds of years.
Lead single Ya Banat Al Yemen, a song often heard at weddings in Yemen, was originally featured in her previous album but instead of the funky breaks and organ stabs, it’s now rooted with a chorus of voices alongside Shiran, driven by a galloping set of percussion.
Her new tunes reveal a sense of longing and curiosity and also highlight a powerful women’s voice in the contemporary Arabic world.
It features eight tracks and includes a guest appearance by fellow Yemeni musician and singer based in Tel Aviv, Eyal El Wahab best known as El Khat.
We particularly enjoyed listening ‘Ya Banat Al Yemen’ with its strong driving percussion and melodic vocals. SHIRAN’s mix of inspirations and craft really shows that her musical creativity is endless. We’re very much looking forward to what comes next.
Follow her journey on Instagram