“Esmerim” is an electronic album released in 2006 by Lebanese DJ and music producer Said Mrad. Issued by Lebanon’s Music Master, its primary style is Electronic / Tribal House, blending Arabic music and world-music elements with the rhythms of House and electronic dance music.

The album contains two songs adapted from the Adagio from Aranjuez, placed first and last, with different arrangements and performance styles. Although both tracks use the title of the Spanish song “En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor,” what is actually sung is not the Spanish version written by Alfredo García Segura, but Lord Vanger’s 2002 adaptation “Mon Amour (A Rose Under the Desert Sky).” This French-English version is adapted from the French song “Aranjuez, Mon Amour,” with lyrics by Guy Bontempelli. Lord Vanger preserves the poetic haze of parts of the original French lyrics, while adding heartbreaking English words and electronic rhythms that reach straight into the body and soul.

“Mon Amour (A Rose Under the Desert Sky)” is an outstanding interpretation among the vocal adaptations of the Adagio from Aranjuez, carrying it from the romantic narrative style of traditional French chanson into the world of twenty-first-century electronic dance music. Even in its original version on “Shine,” already featured vivid electronic textures with a world-music flavor, in Said’s version, the Middle Eastern musical character becomes still more pronounced.

DJ Said Mrad

Said Mrad has been acclaimed as “One of the Best DJ’s and the Guru of the Electronic Dance Music from the Middle East Region” and “The Creator of The Oriental Beats.” He is one of the important figures in promoting electronic dance music in the Middle East. He began working as a DJ in Lebanon’s nightclub scene in the 1990s. At a time when most DJs were simply playing Western popular music, he boldly combined traditional Arabic instruments with European and American House music. Said later developed into a music producer and has often performed in other Middle Eastern countries and across Europe. His distinctive Tribal House style, infused with world music, has led to frequent invitations to appear as a headline DJ for Hollywood celebrities and at major international music festivals. He has also been invited to collaborate with stars such as Martin (Ricky Martin) and Quincy Jones.

His work often combines Arabic melodies, exotic tone colors, dance beats, and club culture, creating a style of electronic music with a strong regional identity. His music serves the dance floor while preserving the melodic qualities of Middle Eastern musical culture. He has been shaping the defining features of Oriental Electronic Dance Music. Common elements in his work include traditional Arabic melodies, the timbres of Middle Eastern folk instruments, electronic drums and House rhythms, and Lounge and Chill-out atmospheres.

Vocal：Mirna Shaker

Mirna Shaker is a Lebanese soprano. Her name is sometimes spelled Mirna Chaker or Mirna Chaer; she is also sometimes known as Bruna. She went to London, to study for a medical degree. While in Britain, she displayed an exceptional gift for bel canto and won a number of local singing and vocal competitions. Her talent even drew the admiration of British progressive-rock icon and world-music giant Peter Gabriel, founder of the renowned world-music label Real World Records. Even so, Shaker eventually returned to Lebanon, where she opened her own medical practice. She also used her vocal gifts in musical, religious, and charitable work, donating most of her income from performances and recording royalties.

Mirna’s singing combines the depth of classical opera with the delicate emotional expression of traditional Middle Eastern vocal styles. Her singing career has not focused mainly on popular music but on Lebanese and Western classical hymns. Crossover works between pop and electronic music, such as “Mon Amour,” are relatively rare in her repertoire. Her diction in this song has an exotic charm. Her Western classical vocal training gives her upper register tremendous power and penetration, making its emotions even more resonat. In this recording, the quality and technique of her voice move from a smooth, flowing opening to soaring, almost aggressive high notes, then to soft murmurs of heartbreak and loss. You will surely want to hear more of her songs.