Soap Kills, Qalbi (with English subtitles)

Great song, essential band. Typically described as "Lebanese trip-hop." The two members of the band, Zeid Hamdan and Yasmine Hamdan, have been working on solo projects since the mid-aughties. It's unclear whether or when they will get back together. In the meantime, check this out.

Galeet Dardashti

Galeet Dardashti's website is here.

Music, bio, programs, schedule...

Rabbi Haim Louk sings piyyutim and Andalousian

Recorded in Los Angeles, where Haim Louk formerly served, and backed by the Orchestre Andalou de Rabat. Presently Haim Louk resides in Israel. He was a protegé and pupil of the celebrated Moroccan Andalousian master, Abdessadeq Cheqara.



Here, Haim Louk doing Andalousian, backed by the same orchestra, but on a later occasion. I guess recorded in Morocco?



More great concert footage of Haim Louk can be found here.

Footage of Cheikh Raymond Leiris

The original footage is from Algerian television, from the colonial era, which began broadcasting in 1957. The colonial authorities broadcast Arab musicians (in an attempt to co-opt them), particularly on the show, "Rythmes et Chansons," which ran from 1958 to 1962. It seems to have been broadcast in France, on a show that featured Enrico Macias (born Gaston Ghrenassia), who was Cheikh Raymond's protegé, and his father, the violin player Sylvain Ghrenassia, a member of Cheikh Raymond's troupe.

The title of the video is, of course, all wrong. Cheikh Raymond was not Amazigh (Berber), but an Algerian Jew.

Moshe Habusha, Piyyut (Religious Devotional Poem), to the tune of Um Kulthum's "Al-Ward al-Gameel"

Read about the remarkable Jerusalem cantor and payy'tan (one trained in the art of singing piyyutim) Moshe Habusha here.

A first-rate study of the piyyutim (and bakashot) is Kay Kaufman Shelemay's Let Jasmine Rain Down.

Five Sufi Hadras in Egypt

Here is footage of five Sufi hadras, courtesy ethnomusicologist Michael Frischkopft, filmed 1996-1998.

Five Sufi hadras: Sufi chanting in Egypt 1996-1998 from Michael Frishkopf on Vimeo.

This is extremely useful, especially because Michael translated the lyrics of the chants.

The most interesting footage, to my mind, is that of the munshid Shaykh Yasin al-Tuhami, who is simply terrific, and is a real superstar in Egypt. Thousands and thousands of people show up whenever he performs. I've seen him perform twice at mulids in Cairo, and once at the Festival of Sacred Music in Fez. I highly recommend the one CD of Shaykh Yasin that is available in the US, The Magic of the Sufi Inshad. He has released many, many cassettes in Egypt, many of which I purchased when I live there. I assume that they are now available there on CD.

Ziad Hamdan / ShiftZ

Please check out Ziad Hamdan (ex-Soap Kills) and his band ShiftZ on ReverbNation. Music to listen to and videos to watch. Esla7hat featuring Maryam Saleh is especially terrific.

Dana International, "Saida Sultana" with Ofer Nissim

Yaron Cohen's career took off in Israel, and the Dana International character was developed, when Ofer Nissim dreamed up a drag scenario in which Yaron performed as Whitney Houston, singing her 1991 hit “My Name Is Not Susan,” in Arabic, in a concert in Saudi Arabia. Yaron/Dana's camp-Arabic version was called “Saida Sultana,” and in the chorus, she screams “My name is not Sa‘īda!” The song was her first cult hit on the Israeli drag circuit.

113 feat. Rida Taliani, "Partir Loin" (rai 'n' b)

From the 113 album, 113 Degrés (2005). Rapping on this song is done by Rim'K.

Lyrics (from here, with some corrections)

Reda
-Ouais gros!!
-elle est où Joséphine!
-allez laissez moi de toi!
-ah bon c'est comme ça!
-mat hanich!
-113 Taliani!
-c'est bon!

refrain:
(Reda Taliani)

Yal babour ya mon amour
Kharejni mel la misere
Fi bladi rani mahboure
Aite aite ou j'en ai marre
Matrabish vocation
Fi dari sa fait montemps
Hada nessetni qui je suis
Nkhdem aali a jour nuit
Yal babour ya mon amour
Kharejni mel la misère
Evasion spéciale L'Algérie l'occidentale

rim-k:
Moi je suis de kabylifornie
On fumait 350 benji
Sur les bords de la corniche
Habsini maalich
Rien a perdre Rim-k le malade mentale
plus connu que le hadj memba
J'voudrais passé le hénné a ma bien aimée
Avant que je taille
Comme Cheb Hasni jsui sentimentale
Partir loin,rien a perdre
C'est Boston ou la cheba
Laissez moi de toi
Comme Robinson sur une ile
Mon mouton je l'apellerai Mercredi
Dès que l'avion atterie
Comme les chibanies jvou rends la carte de residence
Un moment d'évasion ya yma leve toi et danse

Réda taliani:
ça fait plaisir

Refrain :Reda taliani
Yal babour ya mon amour
Kharejni mel la misere
Fi bladi rani mahggoure
Aite aitou j'en ai marre
Matratish l'occasion
Fi dari sa fait longtemps
Hada nessetni qui je suis
Nkhdem aali a jour nuit
Yal babour ya mon amour
Kharejni mel la misère
Evasion spéciale L'Algérie l'occidentale

J'reste bledard, debrouillard
J't'annonce ammene moi loin de la misere
Mon + fidele compagnon en route pour l'elolado
Tellement plein c'est quoi dirou lsac a dos
Partir loin sans les cousin
Le plein toujour les carages c'est dur
J'me considère chanceux d'etre en vie
Pourvu que sa dur
J'ai grandis qu'avec des voleurs
Du haut toujours les youyous qui résonne
Dans ma tete etre a la quete du bonheur

Reda Taliani:
Yal bledi nti fik el khir
Nedi elii hanousse zhar ya aachlei
Andou lktef wou tzidi loul baloul bahr

Refrain : Reda taliani
Yal babour yamon amour
Kharejni mel la misere
Fi bladi rani mahggoure
Aite aitou j'en ai marre
Matratish l'occasion
Fi dari sa fait montemps
Hada nessetni qui je suis
Nkhdem aali a jour nuit
Yal babour ya mon amour
Kharejni mel la misère
Evasion spéciale L'Algérie l'occidentale

R2da Taliani
Yal babour ya mon amour
Kharejni mel la misere
Fi bledi rani mahggoure
Aaite aaitou j'en i marre
Matratish l'occasion
Arwah arwah c'est le moment
Hada nessetni qui je suis
Nkhdem aali a jour et nuit

Yal babour ya mon amour
Kharejni mel la misere
Fi bledi rani mahggoure
Aaite aaitou j'en i marre
N'sacrifie wine dire
Nta rouhi ntala wilili chah

Rim-k:
Algéri,Maroc,Tunisie
Viens jt'enmmene vien vien
(Taliani : ya yaaaa Yaaaa,ya Wouldi Ya Wouldi,wouldi)
Laissez moi de toi ! rraaay
Vive la J.S.K
MAGHREB UNITED
Algérie, Maroc, Tunisie réuni fi
Maghreb United
Partir Loin,

pour fuir les problemes qu'on a dans la tete mec !
Farid Williams o clavier, Rachid le toulousain o percus,
Maghreb United !

Cheikha Rabia Live

CHEIKHA RABIA Live from Dinamyte on Vimeo.

Here's what Amazon.Fr says about Cheikha Rabia, regarding her 2007 release, Liberti:


En ce temps-là, le long des plaines riches en vignobles de l'Oranie, la vie n'était pas si belle, mais le soleil était plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui. Le jour, des troubadours, sous une chaleur accablante et une poussière âcre, hantaient les souks de leurs refrains, contant leur quotidien, dont même un chien ne voudrait pas, juste sauvé par le gong du tempo. La nuit, à la fraîche, les chants deviennent encore plus gris, lors de gasra (veillées entre hommes, animées par des femmes-maîtresses), où la danse fi nissait par l'emporter sur l'apitoiement sur son sort. Leur musique était estampillée gharbi (l'ouest en arabe) et repose sur une dizaine de modes, baptisés le plus souvent du nom de la région d'origine et se jouait sur cinq rythmes différents : le tenqar (lent, sorte de blues calqué sur le pas de chameau), le hamza (un peu plus vif), le alaoui (très rapide et générateur d'une danse aux confi gurations fascinantes), le guebli (montagnard, léger) et le taoussi (imitant la démarche du paon). C'est à ce trab (terre, terroir...), comme l'on nomme le raï des racines, et à sa verve poétique sauvegardée par la tradition orale, que Cheikha Rabia, est restée fi dèle. Elle l'illustre, à l'enseigne de cet album, par une voix pathétique et des complaintes narrant, sur fond de gasba (fl ûte de roseau) et de guellal (percussion longiline),des histoires d'amours contrariées, des rêves d'évasion ailleurs pour échapper à la solitude et à la détresse morale et sexuelle, ou le destin, parfois tragique, de femmes trahies par leurs sentiments. A côté de ces histoires d'amour qui fi nissent mal en général, on sent parfois poindre une lueur d'espoir ou une profonde nostalgie. Née il y a un peu plus de cinquante ans à Relizane, une ville des plaines oranaises, Rabia n'a pas eu une vie facile. Après la Première Guerre Mondiale, son père, qui a combattu pour la France, revient avec deux pieds en moins, puis il meurt, bien des années plus tard, en 1954, en laissant neuf enfants. Une tante férue de raï les prend en charge. En 1962, Rabia, âgée de 16 ans, entre dans la vie professionnelle comme secrétaire auprès d'un médecin français mais, à l'heure de la sortie, elle se mêle aux spectateurs des fêtes de mariages et de circoncisions animées par les meddahates (ensembles exclusivement féminins). En 1965, elle se produit elle-même dans un café algérois, puis dans quelques boîtes où elle se fait un petit nom. En 1977, elle débarque à Paris où elle ouvre un bar qu'elle tiendra jusqu'en 1988. Au cours de la même période, elle enregistre plusieurs cassettes, avec la complicité des musiciens Baghdad Saïdi et Abdallah Relizani, sans pour autant arriver à se faire entendre. Il est vrai que le raï électrique des Cheb, mais aussi la présence de Cheikha REMITTI tenaient le haut de l'affi che. Cheikha Rabia, qui a introduit des choeurs féminins dans ses chansons, va enfi n trouver quelques oreilles attentives au Bédjaïa Club, le dernier lieu mythique parisien où l'on peut encore écouter du trab. Aujourd'hui REMITTI n'est plus (elle nous a quittés en mai 2006) et Cheikha Rabia perpétue seule un genre « habité », en voie de disparition dans sa terre d'origine. En son coeur et ses chansons brûle un feu qui ne s'éteindra jamais, celui de la passion pour un style à la fois hors mode et à la mode.

Breaking News, Tamer Abu Ghazaleh

I love this song by Palestinian artist Tamer Abu Ghazaleh. I wish I had time to make an effort to translate. But here are the first two lines:

إلى كل الجعانين من تشيلي للصين
هناك أكل مجاني في أرض فلسطين

To all the hungry, from Chile to China/There's free food in the land of Palestine.



Tamer describes himself as follows: "A composer of alternative Arabic music, and an Oud, Buzuq, and vocal performer. The lyrics in his compositions are in formal (fus-ha), Palestinian, or Egyptian dialect, written by himself or by Arab poets. The lyrics, in general, are not directed towards a specific theme; they express an array of human experience that is not defined by time or place: love, challenge, insecurity, boredom, thrill, frustration, etc."

To learn more about Tamer and to listen to more of his music, go to his Myspace page.

Egyptian Sha'bi for the revolution

Here's a quite wonderful song, in the sha'bi vein, from Mona Liza.



Somebody: please translate.

Khaled Mattawa on Libyan music

Khaled's article recently published by The Daily Beast, "Libya's Explosive Music Revolution," is really invaluable. Links to lots of important youtube clips of Libyan singers, like Nasser al-Mezdawi and Ahmed Fakroun.

The Nasser al-Mezdawi vid is for a song called "Shantat Safar." Please go here (to my blog Kanz al-Tuhaf) for a different, and I believe, the original version of the song, provided to me by a Libyan friend.

Libyan Merskawi Music: 'Abd al-Jalil 'Abd al-Qadir

Khaled Mattawa tells us that Merskawi music was one of two styles of urban music to emerge in Libya in the 1970s. Merskawi's "conventional lyrics and traditional rhythms along with the hard living of its singers made it the favored sound among the young and disaffected. Singing mainly at private gatherings, Merskawi performers commanded top dollar, as well as the commensurate supply of local moonshine and hashish, which were all happily provided to them even in conservative Libya."

Also courtesy Khaled, I learned of a fantastic Libyan Merskawi artist, 'Abd al-Jalil 'Abd al-Qadir. Please check him out. The performance reminds me a bit of Pakistani qawwali. It's partly the presence of the accordion, but it's also the relaxed feel, the spontaneity, the fact that the musicians are seated, and the length of the song. Below is part one of the song راد الله عليا. Please check out part two as well. It's really fabulous. Such a find!

R.I.P. Dimi Mint Abba

Dimi Mint Abba, Mauritania's best-known singer (at least abroad), passed away in early June. Read Robin Denselow's obit in The Guardian here. And check out this brilliant live performance. R.I.P.

Mustapha Bakbou, live at Mawazine festival, 2011

Yes, this is 'festivalized' Gnawa music. But it's one of the grand masters (m'allims) of Gnawa, Mustapha Bakbou (a.k.a. Baqbou), in great form. It's not a jam with foreign musicians. The accompanying percussion and electric bass for the most part firm up rather than overshadow the beats of the qraqeb and Bakbou's guinbri playing. The filming is crisp and the sound is excellent. Highly recommended. Although going to a lila is better, always. But not usually possible.

Highly recommended-- Houria Ivanan: Pop music From Kabylia

Thanks to Abdellah, I just learned about the music blog Cartilage Consortium. They have many interesting tracks of Middle Eastern pop music to download. Check out the most recent post, with two tracks from 1984, from Houria Ivanan, an early pseudonym for Nora At Brahim. Great stuff!

Hussein Barghouthi and Sabreen

Short doc on poet and Sabreen lyricist Hussein Barghouthi. Notable especially for footage in the beginning of Sabreen in concert. Footage must date from the early 80s?

Lebanese rap group Fareeq al-Atrash

Some great beatboxing here. The group help raise money for the Free Gaza Movement, below. Love the use of the live instruments.

A review of Fareeq al-Atrash's album "Fareeq al-Atrash (pre-album) + a link to download is here. More on the group from BabelMed here.