The Essential Guide To Arabia [Box Set]
From the most famous artists with their passionate voices and sweeping
orchestral soundscapes, through the raw roots of Raï from the streets
of Algeria, to today's glossily confident power-Pop and cutting-edge Dance –
The Essential Guide To Arabia, over 3CDs, takes you by the ear and leads
you into the heart of Arabic music.
Rather splendid 3 CD set compiled by Phil Meadley.
CD1 is ‘Legends’ and features 12 tracks from artists including Lili Boniche,
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Dahmane El Harrachi and my stand out track by
Oum Kalsoum.
CD2 is ‘Rebels’ so we get Khaled, Cheb Mami amongst 11 tracks with my
pick here going to Rasto and a deep mix of rai & reggae.
CD3 is ‘Pop & Beyond and includes tracks from Hanino, Kadim Al Sahir
and Azzddine with the mighty Bill Laswell.
Great collection. (source: we love music)
| MP3 320 Kbps | Three CD Box Set |
Playing Time: CD1 - 71:00, CD2 - 61:00, CD3 - 60:00 | 350 MB |
CD1: Legends
1. Mokhtar Al Said & El Ferka El Masaya – Enta Omri
A famous tune originally written by legendary Arabic arranger
Mohamed Abdel Wahab for Egyptian diva Oum Kulthum, and
is reinterpreted here by accordionist Mokhtar Al Saïd under
the keen tutelage of ‘raks sharki’ expert Jalilah, and captures
the original’s gravitas perfectly.
2. Hassan Houssini – Eleil Eleil
By Moroccan raï legend Hassan Houssini, this track is classic
gutsy gnawa with archetypal call-and-response choruses
underpinned by a driving rhythm on darbuka.
3. Ilham Al Madfai – Mohamad Bouya Mohamad (Dear Beloved)
One of Iraq’s greatest musicians, Ilham Al Madfai fled his homeland
under Saddam Hussein’s regime, but has now returned and is
helping rebuild an international reputation for Iraqi music.
His repertoire includes mixing traditional Arabic music with elements
of jazz, pop, and flamenco, but here he evokes the timeless allure
of ancient Baghdad.
4. Simon Shaheen & Qantara – Fantasie For Oud & String Quartet
Israeli born musician Simon Shaheen is a master oud player,
and this wonderful track is a reinterpretation of Mohamed
Abdel Wahab’s ‘Min Gheir Leh’ mixed with four original variations
featuring guest violinist Mark Peskanov.
5. Lili Boniche – Ana Fil Houb
Algerian-Jewish singer/guitarist Lil Boniche was re-discovered at
the age of 78 playing in a Paris Café. His penchant for mixing up
languages (he sings in French as well as Arabic) and styles
(flamenco, jazz, traditional) has made him a cult hero, and this
remains one of his best-loved songs.
6. Dahmane El Harrachi - Hakhra Fayelle
Probably best known through Rachid Taha’s searing cover
of ‘Ya Rayah’, Harrachi was one of Algeria’s greatest singers of shaabi
(Arab street music). Born the son of a religious dignitary, El Harrachi
became famous for his songs about life as a North African immigrant
living in France. If you want to discover who influenced Taha’s vocal
style then look no further …
7. Nass El Ghiwane – Salif Albattar
Uncompromising Moroccan legends Nass El Ghiwane deliver a
repertoire of traditional Moroccan music with a rock n’ roll aesthetic.
Salif Albattar (also known as The Reaper) is a song about death and
how it affects each and every one of us.
8. Najat Aatabou – LM Ouima
Discovered after secretly being recorded singing at a family party,
Najat Aatabou became a popular, but controversial singer
of contemporary Moroccan, Berber, and Arabic songs.
Known more recently through a sample of her song
‘Just Tell Me The Truth’ on the Chemical Brothers recent hit
‘Galvanize’, ‘LM Quima’ shows her at her most impassioned.
9. Jil Jilala – Baba Aadi
Similar to the rivalry between the Beatles and the Stones,
Jil Jilala and Nas El Ghiwane spilt the adoration of the Moroccan public.
A far politer alternative to their more rebellious contemporaries,
they were founded in Marrakech in 1973 and soon sent the
country alight with songs such as ‘Laayoune Ayniya’
(which became an unofficial national anthem) and this track.
10. Omar Faruk Tekbilek (with Steve Shehan) – Dulger
One of the Middle East’s most popular multi-instrumentalists,
Tekbilek first came to prominence on the soundtrack to ‘Suleyman
The Magnificent’ directed by Suzanne Bauman.
This moody slice of Turkish/Egyptian opulence carves a direct
route back to his earliest influences.
11. Fairuz – Sallimleh Alayh
Only one woman has come close to the great Oum Kalsoum in
terms of adoration across the Middle East, and she is the Lebanese
diva Fairuz. The title of this song translates as ‘Give Him My Regards’
and speaks of the love-torn anguish of a cast aside suitor.
12. Oum Kalsoum – Ala Balad El Mahboub
Born in 1904, Oum Kalsoum was the ‘voice of Egypt’ until her
death in 1975. Beloved of President Nasser
(who never missed her Cairo performance every first Thursday of the month),
her impassioned, and hugely theatrical delivery left audiences spellbound.
This 1936 recording was taken from the soundtrack to her first
(and most famous) movie ‘Wedad’.
CD2: RaÏ Rebels
1. Hamid Bouchenak – A Shebba
Although it’s agreed that Oran in Algeria is the birthplace of Raï,
the Moroccan city of Oujda could almost come a close second,
and resident Hamid Bouchnak is revered in the Maghreb for his
dynamic mix of pop, Raï, gnawa, jazz, and reggae.
A Shebba shows an abundance of all these elements.
2. Khaled – Le Camel
La Camel is from a period of his career that established Khaled
as one of Algeria’s greatest voices. Recorded not long after he
moved to France but before he began a hugely successful
international career, it’s not hard to hear what drew the major
companies to his door in this infectious slice of eighties power pop.
3. Cheb Mami – Madiriche Aliya
The Prince of Raï is known to many Westerners as the guy who
dueted with Sting on ‘Desert Rose’ but he’s far better known in
North Africa for a string of infectious Arabic pop songs, which fully
capitalise on his soulful Algerian ululations.
A true North African star, this catches him early in his career and
shows glimpses of what lay ahead.
4. Rasto – Wach Darou Fina
Raï and reggae have long been comfortable bedfellows, and Algerian
singer Rasto certainly takes his Jamaican influences seriously.
His particular blend of Raï owes as much to Bob Marley as it does to Oran.
5. Haim – Hibina / Linda Linda / Hamouda
Better known in recent times as a live favourite of raï rocker Rachid Taha,
this song originally featured in ‘Lahn al Khouloud’, a 1952 film by
Henry Barakat, and was written by Farid El Atrache.
This far poppier rendition is by new Moroccan Raï sensation Haim.
6. Hanino – Douar Zine
Moroccan Raï sensation Hanino was born in Oudja but moved
to Lille in the early nineties. He started his career singing at
weddings, but got his first break in rap-raï group Oxygène.
Since then he’s become better known for mixing up raï, reggae and chaabi
in an easily accessible style.
7. Cheb Aïssa – Nouara
Perhaps better known as the protégé of the great Cheb Mami, Cheb Aissa
was born in Saïda (as was his mentor) 200 km from Oran in the west of Algeria.
He’s become famous for helping modernise ‘trab’ – a rural style of
Raï linked to the gasba flute, and often featuring “risqué lyrics and sexual allusions”.
8. Malik – After RaÏ
Responsible for an Arabic version of ‘Shaft’, which appeared on the first
Buddha Bar compilation, Malik Adouane has a reputation for mixing his
Saharan roots with a variety of club styles. This is taken from ‘Daïmen’,
which attempted put Raï on a more Ibiza orientated trajectory.
9. Cheikh Djelloul Remchaoui – Adieu
A master of Moroccan Trab music, Cheikh Djelloul Remchaoui draws
the listener back to the earliest days of Raï with his haunting desert
blues sound and gruff, earthy vocal style.
10. Cheikha Remitti – C’est Fini, J’en Ai Marre
From the ‘grandmother of Raï’, and still a huge influence to many
contemporary Raï singers, this song has a typically defiant title
which translates as “I’ve finished, I’ve had enough”.
Trademark pummelling guellal drums and omnipresent gasba flute
make this a particularly fine example of her work.
11. Cheikh Meftah – Consulat
It’s only recently that artists such as Cheikh Meftah and Cheikha Remitti
have come to the attention of music lovers outside of Algeria.
Their earthy ‘trab’ music style is as old as the Atlas Mountains and
just as timeless.
CD3: Pop & beyond
1. Hakim & Olga Tañón – Ya Albi
Egyptian shaabi superstar Hakim hooked up with Puerto Rican Queen of
Merengue Olga Tanon in a chateau in France at the behest of music mogul
Miles Copeland. Latin-American hip-hop star Kemo (Delinquent Habits)
joined the party and this fabulously infectious hit single was the result.
2. Cheikh DB Mix – Allaoui & Reggada
Allaoui is a type of dance from West Algeria used exclusively in Oran and Oujda,
and Reggada is a particular vocal style from the same region.
This is a cool fusion of both from the unlikely named Cheikh DB Mix.
3. Hanino – Cuite Ni
Hanino first came to prominence collaborating with the Bouchenak Brothers
on his debut album ‘Al Bardia’. Since then the Moroccan heartthrob
has made countless albums drawing on elements of raï, shaabi,
and reggada amongst others. This track is perfect slice of North African pop.
4. Nancy – Akhasmak Ah (We Might Quarrel)
Born in Asrafiyeh, Lebanon, in 1983, Nancy Ajram started her career
by covering the songs of Fairuz and Oum Kalsoum, before releasing
a debut album in her early teens. The title translates as “I’d get upset from you”,
and propelled her into superstardom plus a lucrative deal with Coca Cola.
5. Hasna – Marsoul Il Hob (Object Of My Affection)
With an intro hugely reminiscent of Panjabi MC’s ‘Mundian To Bach Ke’,
this is sensuous Arabic pop by beautiful Moroccan singer Hasna. A huge
hit across the Middle East, it was written by Moroccan musician
Abdel Wahab el-Doukali.
6. Najwa Karam – Bara’ah
Najwa Karam helped put Lebanese pop music on the map in the 1990’s.
A philosophy graduate, she released her first album ‘Ya Hahayec’ in 1989,
and has since won many admirers and countless awards, making her
one of the Arabic world’s best loved divas.
7. Yuri Mrakadi – Arabyon Ana (Circus mix)
One of the biggest stars of the moment, Lebanese singer Yuri Mrakadi
hit the ground running with the release of his debut album in 2001.
Frequently used by big multi-national corporations to help endorse their products,
his voice and looks mark him out as a very gifted - and corporate savvy - performer.
8. Beirut Biloma – Take Me To Beirut
Originally a huge club anthem entitled ‘Drive me to Beirut’ this remake
appeared on the debut album of Lebanese producer Mohamed Kebbe’s
current project Beirut Biloma. Arabic dance isn’t usually faceless,
but Kebbe relies on a host of singers and rappers to help
front his expansive productions.
9. Kadim Al Sahir – Baghdad (Kathora Al Hadeeth)
(Transglobal Underground alternative mix)
Iraqi heartthrob Kadim Al Sahir has often courted controversy.
At the start of his career he refused to sell out by singing manufactured pop,
and his first hit ‘Ladghat El Hayya’ in 1987 was a thinly veiled critique
of the recent Iran-Iraq conflict. Having studied traditional Arabic music
at Baghdad Music Academy his contemporary compositions have more
depth than most, as this rare Transgloblal Underground remix testifies.
10. Dar Beida 04 feat. Amina Annabi – Fet Li Fet
A studio collaboration between Swiss producer Pat Jabbar and Moroccan
artist Ahderrahim Akkaoui, Dar Beida (the Arabic name for Casablanca)
mixed trance, dub and chill-out sounds with traditional Moroccan music and raï.
On this track Tunisian chanteuse Amina Annabi sings of peaceful support for Palestine.
11. Azzddine with Bill Laswell - Srir F’al Houbb
Azzddine Ouhnine is a blind Oud player and composer from Rabat,
the capital of Morocco. Here he collaborates with various members of
his orchestra, alongside esteemed bass player Bill Laswell, to produce a
fine fusion of Moroccan dub and swooping Arabic strings.
12. Aisha Kandisha’s Jarring Effects - Lahbab
Underground Moroccan trance collective, Aisha Kandisha’s Jarring Effects,
were named after a mythical enchantress/she-devil and in the
early 90’s developed a considerable following in Europe.
This track sees them at the height of their powers, taken from the
cult album ‘Shabeesation’ which also featured Bill Laswell, Umar Bin Hassan
of the Last Poets, and P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell.
Compilation and notes by Phil Meadley
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