The swirl of Egyptian strings, hip-hop beats, love, and politics can make strange bedfellows, but once again Natasha Atlas, chanteuse and belly dancer, makes sense of it all. Singing in several languages (including French on the opener "Mon Amie la Rose") she delivers 11 exotic worldbeat tracks full of exuberance, reflection, and yearning that are at once compassionate and militant, her Arabic roots sharing center stage with her club experiences with the likes of Transglobal Underground. Funky beats, kanoun, oud, string sections, and percussion jostle for attention in the background as Atlas's serpentine vocals entwine the listener in tales of passion, injustice, and the mysteries of life. Recorded both in London and Cairo, Gedida is a truly cosmopolitan melting pot for the '90s, ranging from hip dance-floor grooves to traditional Egyptian orchestral arrangements, and Atlas, equally at home in both, is fast proving herself one of the most intriguing and original artists blending international cultures into a common musical language. --Derek Rath