In the latest installment of WaraElMazzika’s ongoing “Favorite 5” series, Moataz Mady takes us through five albums that have shaped his musical taste and approach to making music. From Ziad Rahbani’s jazz-inflected arrangements and Led Zeppelin’s guitar-driven sound to Daft Punk’s influence on electronic music production, his picks span different genres and generations. Rounding out the selection are Mark Knopfler’s personal songwriting and Fairuz’s blend of Arabic music and jazz, reflecting the records he returns to for inspiration, creative direction, and moments of solitude.
Houdou Nisbi – Ziad Rahbani
Ziad Rahbani changed the game for me by bringing jazz orchestration into our music, with harmonically complex arrangements that still feel incredibly easy on the ears. He opened my ears to a whole different way of approaching music.
Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin are the reason I picked up the guitar, with tracks like ‘Misty Mountain Hop’, ‘Black Dog’, and ‘Stairway to Heaven’, which I consider the most important song ever written. Whenever I hit a creative block, coming back to this album gets me making music again.
Random Access Memories – Daft Punk
Daft Punk were ahead of their time and one of the most important names in electronic music. Anyone interested in electronic music production should listen to this album. You’ll learn a lot.
Down the Road Wherever – Mark Knopfler
This album is deeply personal to me, especially ‘When You Leave’, which is my favorite track on it. There’s a real maturity to the music, with beautiful vocal melodies and lyrics that feel incredibly relatable, and it’s something I usually find myself coming back to when I’m alone.
Wala Keef – Fairuz
Fairuz being one of the few Arab artists to leave a real mark on music worldwide. There’s so much richness in the arrangements on this album, with ‘Shu Bkhaf’ and ‘Sabah w Masa’ being my two favorite tracks.
