Desert Wind (album)

Desert Wind
Studio album by Ofra Haza
Released January 16, 1989
Recorded Can Am Studios, Z Sound Studios, etc.
Genre Progressive electronic music, synthpop
Length 49:15
Label Sire/Warner Bros. Records (U.S.)
25976
Teldec/WEA Records (international)
Warner Pioneer Records (Japan)
Producer Arif Mardin
Joe Mardin
Ofra Haza
Thomas Dolby
Bezalel Aloni
Ofra Haza chronology

Shaday
(1988)		 Desert Wind
(1989)		 Kirya
(1992)
Professional ratings
Review scores
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Allmusic

Desert Wind is a 1989 album by Ofra Haza, who was one of the most popular singers in Israel at the time. Haza was unknown in the rest of the world until the previous year when the song "Im Nin'Alu" and the following album Shaday were released, bringing her to the attention of Europe and the United States. Desert Wind was therefore more oriented toward the international market.

The main language of the album is in English, however Ofra also sings in Arabic, Hebrew, and the ancient language of Aramaic. The album has a very oriental feeling, since it contains ancient Yemenite songs. The sound is a mainstream form of dance music with elements of synthpop and, on track 8, an influence of house music. The album ends with "Kaddish," a Jewish prayer that, as Haza writes, is meant to hold all the world's sorrows on the wings of an angel. The song has a short English-language introduction. However, the main part of the prayer is in Aramaic.

Track listing

  1. "Wish Me Luck" (Aloni, Haza) - 4:10
  2. "Ya Ba Ye" (Aloni, Haza) - 5:06
  3. "Middle East" (Aloni, Haza, Mardin) - 4:37
  4. "I Want to Fly" (Aloni, Amram, Haza) - 4:26
  5. "Slave Dream" (Aloni, Haza) - 4:46
  6. "Taw Shi" (Aloni, Dolby, Haza) - 3:28
  7. "Mm'mma (My Brothers Are There)" (Aloni, Haza) - 4:23
  8. "In Ta" (Aloni, Haza) - 5:50
  9. "Fatamorgana (Mirage)" (Aloni, Haza) - 4:59
  10. "Da'asa" (Aloni, Haza) - 2:41
  11. "Kaddish" (Aloni, Haza) - 4:34

Charts

Chart (1989) Peak
position
The Billboard 200 156

Personnel

Production