Al-Yaman is a Czech duo playing Arabic inspired folk-rock that is impossible to resist. Ashwaq Abdulla Kulaib is the female singer of the duo who came from Yemen to Prague in 1990 to study and never left. The other part of the duo is composer and musician Ales Hyvnar. The duo is backed by a drummer, percussionist and bassist. Their eleven new compositions are modern rock songs, deeply rooted in (Arabic) tradition and old fashioned (Arabic) pop/rock. Kulaib is a great singer and her full, powerful voice is backed by a nice band and a strong blend of electronics, samples and beats. It’s an album that takes energy to listen to, so much is going on and a bit more moments of rest and peace would have made it stronger I think. But that’s only a small feeling by a very nice rock album.
www.al-yaman.cz
Eelco Schilder

http://www.folkworld.eu/42/e/cds4.html#alya