Ash'Shakhs - The Person [1968]

Quick notes (contains plot spoilers):
The Rahbani Brothers take on how decades of oppression have resulted in a dysfunctional chain of command where any officer can rule with injustice. But that's just part of the idea behind the play. There is also a satirical view on how the people in governmental positions are perceived, feared and hated. In this situation it results in getting an innocent tomatoes seller arrested and accused for the assumption of disturbing Ash'Shaks which literally means 'The Person' but is a symbol that can be attributed for someone like a president, a minister or a mayor. It ends when the tomatoes seller meets this person. He tells her about the emptiness in his life and how he wants to quit his office and enjoy the simple life of the common man, but how that is impossible to do because his office grew on him. The person promises her to fix what his officers did by giving her back the confiscated tomato cart and by opening the closed down town's square. The tomato seller leaves realizing that his problem is much greater than hers.
Great transfer to compact discs resulting in good sound all through. The booklet however only contains the summary in Arabic and in English.

Booklet Summary:
Ash'shakhs is a musical satire which recieved termendous acclaim in Lebanon and ran to packed houses for many months in Beirut.
The theme is mildly political, the story being based on the situation concerning a young girl whose simple life revolves round the market place where she sells vegetables from a stall.
Her simple life is disrupted by a national celebration of which she is unaware, barring all stalls from the market place; she appears at her usual place and is promptly arrested. The court scene which follows is the highlight of the play and ends in complete and utter confusion.
The climax comes when she meets Ash'shakhs the Head of State and seeks his aid in trying to understand the whole situation; surprise and consternation come to her when she realizes that he himself has similar problems which he also is unable to solve .
The whole them is enhanced by the music and singing particularly by Fairuz and Nasri Shamseddine.

The Credits:
Fairuz ... Albaya'a
Nasri Shamseddine ... Almoutasaref
William Haswani ... Ashawish
Philemon Wehbe ... Almouhami
Antoine Kerbaj ... Ash'shakhs
With Huda, Joesph Nassif and Elie Sheweiri
Written by the Rahbani Brothers
Except for Fayek Ya Hawa, music by Philemon Wehbe.

Disk 1: [58'56]

01. First Introduction 1'37"
02. Mashad Alsouk 6'04"
03. Doukhoul Almoutasaref 4'12"
04. Fi Ma'na Banadoura 3'16"
05. Al-Istikbal 3'11"
06. Jabalyie 3'33"
07. Boukra Inta Wo Jay 3'41"
08. Ashawish Wo Albaya'a 2'03"
09. Ana Baya'a Wou Baddi A'aish 6'24"
10. Na'am ya Amin Als-ser 0'58"
11. Rakestak Beleed 3'29"
12. Bi Amr Almoutasaref 1'15"
13. Fayek Ya Hawa 3'37"
14. Elk Zaman Ya Benti 2'46"
15. Almouhami Wo Albaya'a 4'10"
16. Jina Ala Saha 3'49"
17. Belnejma Wa'adtak 2'39"
18. Ana Asfourat Ashamas 2'06"

Disk 2: [47'10]

01. Second Introdution 1'43"
02. Mashad Alkanaseen 5'46"
03. Zahrat Ataoudouh 3'31"
04. Almouhami Wo Almoutasaref 1'08"
05. Almhakema 13'03"
06. Sawa Rebina 3'37"
07. Belmahkami Khaberina 2'58"
08. Mashad Aldallal 5'31"
09. Ya Meen Yidinyi 1'14"
10. Ash'shkas Wo Albaya'a 7'07"
11. Jina La Hellal 1'29"

Total time 106'06"

Uploder infos:

[MP3:128Kbps]
Part 1: [54.0M]
Part 2: [37.9M]


Download Part 1
Download Part 2