"Ya Ghaly" by Guitara - The concept of world music may conjure many images: Afro-Caribbean jungle beats, Bollywood melodrama, Gypsy disobedience, Celtic mysticism, or perhaps Flamenco flair? Music from the Gulf state of Kuwait, however, is not something that immediately comes to mind. But then again, Kuwait’s hottest selling band and the country’s number one cultural export Guitara, is an ingenious musical phenomenon that is well and truly in the business of defying any possible stereotype you could throw at it.

Mentor Records is honored to present the classic Guitara hit Ya Ghaly to the dance and electronic music world as the featured track in the Sweetwater World Music Remix Competition 2007. Produced by Kuwait’s top musical prodigy Riad Alqabandi, the addictive melody and infectious rhythms of Ya Ghaly may sound
strangely familiar; the song was covered and plagiarized hundreds of times in various languages, including multiple Hindi versions in a number of Bollywood blockbuster films. There can be no better tribute to the competition’s theme of “Outstanding Female Singers” than Rahaf’s vocal accomplishment on Ya Ghaly, that is guaranteed to inspire and delight any remixer or producer who is truly passionate about music.

"Nadeya" by Afroganic - Every once in a while a musical movement comes along that is so deep and pure that it touches you not just on a melodic level, but in a more profound way that makes you reassess your priorities. Afroganic is a natural, unprocessed, 100% organic sound. Delve deep and you will find a beautiful contradiction: a simple yet highly complex set of tunes that fuse African rhythms and home grown folk instruments such as pan-flutes to the sting Gunje, with infectious bass, guitar and funky house beats.

Mentor Records is proud to have been granted the privilege of opening up the Afroganic sound to the dance and electronic music world and is featuring the track Nadeya in the Sweetwater World Music Remix Competition 2007. No song could be more apt for this year’s theme of “Outstanding Female Singers”. With layer upon layer of heart-tugging, feet-tapping vocals that are as natural and genuine as mother earth herself, Nadeya is the type of track that remix producers of any disposition lust after. It’s all there, a beatuiful canvas of possibilities just begging to be taken to a different dimension.