WISHAH
solo album / october 2023
Wishah ('Veil' in Arabic) is a composition in five stages, written by Youmna Saba between 2021 and 2022, for voice, oud and electronics.
Following her previous solo works Njoum (2014) and Arb’een (40) (2017), this album marks a significant turning point in Saba's journey. Created after leaving Beirut and settling in Paris, Wishah reveals a profound shift in her musical expression, informed by rigorous research in the sonic properties of sung Arabic phonemes and their role in shaping synthesised electronic sounds.
The album employs a digital extension for the oud, a concept developed by Saba in her research project Taïma’. This device enhances the oud's sonic range, seamlessly integrating synthesised electronics. It also amplifies subtle, often overlooked sounds generated during playing, such as resonances and fingerboard friction.
The composition is organised into five distinct stages, each contributing to a process of gradual revelation. As the tracks unfold, they strip away layers of constructed emotions and perceptions that have been intricately woven over time, to expose a space that no longer exists. Wishah is a farewell to home.
released October 6, 2023
Wishah
Written and performed by Youmna Saba
Recorded and mixed by Fadi Tabbal at Tunefork Studios, Beirut
Produced by Youmna Saba and Fadi Tabbal
Mastered by Stephan Mathieu
Design and photography: Jon Wozencroft
Published by Touch Music/Fairwood Music (UK) Ltd.
The oud digital extension used on this record was developed by Nicolas Canot, and produced by Césaré - Centre National de Création Musicale, as part of the research project Taïma', by Youmna Saba
Arb'een (40)
solo album / may 2017
Written, arranged and performed by Youmna Saba / Recorded and mixed by Fadi Tabbal at Tunefork Recording Studios, Lebanon / Mastered by Lopazz at Mixmastering, Germany / Produced by Youmna Saba and Fadi Tabbal (Tunefork) / Album cover illustration and design by Joseph Kai
Njoum
solo album / september 2014
Written and performed by Youmna Saba / Arranged by Youmna Saba & Fadi Tabbal / Track 5 by Fadi Tabbal / Recorded and mixed by Fadi Tabbal at Tunefork Recording Studios, Lebanon / Mastered by Lopazz at Mixmastering, Germany / Produced by Youmna Saba and Fadi Tabbal (Tunefork) / Album cover illustration and design by Joseph Kai
Collaborations 2021-2022
Maples, Ash, and Oaks: Cedars Instrumentals
Field Works / 2021
The musical frameworks are based on the Field Works album Cedars, created by Marisa Anderson, Fadi Tabbal, and Stuart Hyatt – and performed by Julien Marchal, Youmna Saba, Dena El Saffar, Danny Paul Grody, Bob Hoffnar, Stuart Hyatt, Tomás Lozano, Nathan Bowles, Alex Roldan, Fadi Tabbal, and Marisa Anderson. The forest soundscape was recorded by Harrison Ridley in the Welsh countryside.
Cedars
field works / 2021
The album is narrated by Youmna Saba and H.C. McEntire. Instrumentalists include Marisa Anderson, Fadi Tabbal, Dena El Saffar, Danny Paul Grody, Bob Hoffnar, Tomás Lozano, Nathan Bowles, Alex Roldan, Youmna Saba, and Stuart Hyatt.
