Mouasalat Ila Jacad El Ard

Mouasalt Ila Jacad El Ard (transl. Journey to Another World) is the debut studio album by Lebanese musician Issam Hajali. Originally self-released in 1977 to relative obscurity, it was reissued by Habibi Funk Records on November 22, 2019. Hajali fled his home after the Syrian intervention in the Lebanese Civil War. He spent a year in Paris in exile, living in an immigrant community, and forming a band. Hajali could only afford a day of studio time. He recorded the album in May or June 1977, with each track recorded in one take. Less than 100 cassette tapes were made and Hajali self-released the album in Beirut. The album had many political themes and was influenced by the persecution of Palestinian activists and the poetry of Samih al-Qasim.