In its overview of the best global albums of 2025, The Guardian calls Lebanese singer-songwriter Yasmine Hamdan “a staple of the region’s indie music scene since the 1990s”. I hadn’t heard of her until recently and I am writing this from an Arab country, so double shame on me. Shmaali ( شمالي in Arabic, meaning North) is heavily rooted in Arab music – again, I can’t claim to be a connaisseur – but also with clear influences from dub and electronic music. It is very good and should be a good starting point for a musical journey through the region.