Dub Yalil

"Dub Yalil"
Single by Natacha Atlas
from the album Diaspora
B-side	"Stotinki"
Released	1994
Format	CD, 12-inch
Genre	Electronica, World Music
Length	5:46
Label	Nation
Writer(s)	Natacha Atlas
Producer	Transglobal Underground
Natacha Atlas singles chronology
"Dub Yalil" (1994) "Leysh Nat' Arak" (1995)

"Dub Yalil" is a world music song performed by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas. The melody and additional lyrics (the words to the "Adhan" - or Islamic call to prayer - are used in the first half of the song) were written by Atlas and produced by Transglobal Underground for the Atlas' debut album Diaspora (1995). It was released as a single in 1994.^[1]

Background and meaning

In "Dub Yalil", Atlas professes her love for Allah. The song was written during a period when Atlas was rediscovering her faith in Islam. She began attending the mosque and fasted during the month of Ramadan. "Dub Yalil" features the opening lines of the Adhan, the Muslim call to prayer, over a dub beat. The song begins with her singing "God is greatest, I witness that there is no god but God," but does not complete the prayer's opening line, which should be followed by "and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Instead, Atlas sings, "God, I love you."^[2]

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Dub Yalil".

CD single
(NR28CD)

1. "Dub Yalil" (Alternate version) – 6:39
2. "Yalla Chant" (Album version) – 6:01
3. "Stotinki" (The Space Cadets featuring Natacha Atlas and Jah Wobble) – 5:23

Vinyl single
(NR28T)

1. "Dub Yalil" – 5:36
2. "Yalla Chant" – 6:01

Personnel

The following people contributed to "Dub Yalil":^[3]

• Natacha Atlas – lead vocals, keyboards
• Aggie Demitri – guitar
• Kevin Haskins – programming, drums, percussion, synthesizer
• Aki Nawaz – samples
• Angus Wallace – engineering

References

General

• Swedenburg, Ted (2001). "Islamic Hip-Hop verus Islamophobia". In Mitchell, Tony. Global Noise: Rap and Hip-Hop Outside the USA. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 0819565024. http://books.google.com/books?id=itcAedBA5CIC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0. Retrieved 2 May 2009. 

Specific

1. ^ Pride, Dominic. "U.K.'s Nation of 'Ethno-Techno'". Billboard. 28 October 1995. Pp. 52.
2. ^ Swedenburg, Global Noise: Rap and Hip-Hop Outside the USA, pp. 66.
3. ^ Diaspora (CD liner notes). Nation Records. March 1995.

External links

• Official website