Desert Wind (album)

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.

Desert Wind
Studio album by Ofra Haza
Released	January 16, 1989
Recorded	Can Am Studios, Z Sound Studios, etc.
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
Source	Rating
Allmusic

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 US Billboard 200 156

Personnel

• Ofra Haza - lead vocals
• Fonzi Thornton - backing vocals track 3
• Lani Groves - backing vocals track 3
• Lisa Fischer - backing vocals track 3
• Mark Stevens - backing vocals track 3
• Rachele Cappelli - backing vocals track 3
• Kadya (Shoshana) Haza - vocals track 9
• Joe Mardin - keyboards, programming, vocoder, conductor strings, drums, backing vocals
• Omar Faruk Tekbilek - baglama, oud (ut)
• Gene Orloff - concertmaster
• Iki Levy - drums and percussion programming, cymbal, loops, goblet drum (darbuka solo),
• Yaron Bachar - keyboards
• Andy Paley - additional guitars
• Paul Pesco - guitar
• Adi Dgani - keyboards
• Dario Malki - keyboards
• Rodrigo Manuel - percussion
• Larry Treadwell - guitar
• Thomas Dolby - keyboards, drum programming, backing vocals
• Nyle Stynner - windsynth
• Joshua Fried - keyboards, drums, programming, musical shoe tree
• Dario Malki - keyboards

Production

• Arif Mardin - record producer tracks 1 to 3, 7, 8, musical arranger
• Bezalel Aloni - producer tracks 4, 5, 10, 11, musical arranger
• Joe Mardin - producer tracks 1 to 3, 6, 8, musical arranger
• Ofra Haza - producer tracks 4, 5, 10, 11, musical arranger
• Thomas Dolby - producer tracks 5, 6, musical arranger
• Joshua Fried - musical arranger, additional production
• Scott Canto - sound engineer
• Chris Trevitt - sound engineer
• Metal Dan Wood - sound engineer
• Dave Lebowitz - sound engineer
• Glenn Zimet - sound engineer
• Joe Mardin - sound engineer
• Rich July - sound engineer
• Michael O'Reilly - sound engineer
• Rod Hui - sound engineer
• Peter Robins - sound engineer
• Ziv Sidi - sound engineer
• Brian Malouf - sound engineer
• John Jackson - sound engineer
• Toby Wright - sound engineer
• Ted Jensen - audio mastering
• Recorded at Green Street Recording, NYC, "Z" Sound Studios, NYC and Can Am Studios, Tarzana, CA. Vocals and strings on track 1 recorded at SoundTrack and Clinton Studios, NYC. Mixed at Green Street Studio, NYC. Mastered at Sterling Sound, NYC.