If you decide to indulge yourself with the “Habiby Ta’a” album, be sure to pick up the 12-track version as originally issued. It is in stereo, whereas the 14-track version is in mono and was recently released to capitalize on the expanding Western belly-dance market; it includes two frenetic tracks from her previous album of 2004, also a good one. There are numerous videos from these albums. Among the most interesting is “Tab Wana Maly,” which is actually a video of the making of a video and serves as a remake of a scene featuring Nadia Lotfi in the Egyptian film “Ben al Kasren,” a remarkable slice of the 60s.

Nourhanne stands out as one of two Lebanese artists to weld together the natural affinities of European disco and Arabic pop to create a new form of disco music. The other is Melissa, whose second album of 2008 epitomizes the trend. The title track “Mfakar Halah Min,” “Ta’lali Awan,” and a “duet” with the Afro-Swedish rapper Dr. Alban entitled “Habibi (Somebody Call My Name),” all were made into videos featuring Melissa, and one thing remarkable about these clips is that none can even remotely be considered provocative. One can compare Nawal Al Zoghbi’s proto-disco clip of “Elli Tmaneeto” (2002), which was remarkably provocative and recognized as such at the time, and Myriam Fares’s “Wahishny Eh” (2005) and “Eli Bi Yehsal” (2008), each progressively less provocative. Melissa’s above-mentioned video with Dr. Alban is impressive, and it inspired other rap-oriented east-west duet material, including Nourhanne’s non-album video “Beirut Never Sleeps.”

Few albums churn out Arabic disco as consistently as Melissa’s second. Recent tracks by Nicole Saba might constitute an exception. Well worth a watch is the “Ana Tabee Keda” clip. It begins with some shot sequences that suggest the theme of battered wife syndrome. But it turns out these are “mugshots” following a police raid on a discothèque that went pear-shaped: be aware, this may contain disturbing images. Despite the signs of violence on her face, the singer is unapologetic after the incident: “DJ Nikki, As Guilty As A Girl Can Be.” More video evidence on her “Hafdal Ahlam.”

Some of the finer moments of Arabic disco are found on two tracks by Naya, “Men Eidy” and “Batmana,” both coming with truly excellent videos. Her album “Mandam” of 2012 is broadly eclectic, however. This may be a disadvantage, but there is definitely space for such attempts, and Naya excels in all parts. In addition to the tracks mentioned there are videos of the ballad “Tezkar,” where her melismatic attacks directly counter the insinuations of lounge music, and the Gulf tune “Ghirah,” with impressive rapport between singer and chorus. The record company Arabica also put out a clip of a wedding-reception performance, apparently the source of the album track “Mama Ya Mama.” This song has tarab elements and a folk-classical basis, and the superb live recording shows the full stage forces lying behind this form of music.