Kirya

Description

.com After having essentially kick-started the idea of ethno-techno with Fifty Gates of Wisdom, Israeli diva Ofra Haza stalled creatively at the start of the 1990s. In 1992, however, she pushed herself ahead with the album Kirya while still keeping intact her Yemenite Jewish roots. The production was high-tech but underneath the machinery lay plenty of thought for the music. She added hip-hop as well as other musical genres to her sound. This hybrid style became a kind of forerunner to the work of Natacha Atlas and Transglobal Underground. Bringing Lou Reed into the picture for a duet on "Daw Da Hiya" was something of a masterstroke, even if it didn't pay dividends in terms of sales. In essence, this adventurous disc is a landmark in world fusion music with the title track and "Trains of No Return" clear standouts. Once again, Haza pushed the envelope. --Chris Nickson