Search - Various Artists :: Rai Rebels

Various Artists
Rai Rebels
Genres: International Music, Special Interest, Pop

Track Listings (8) - Disc #1
1. N'Sel Fik [You Are Mine Again/Du Gehorst Wieder Mir/Tú E]
2. Khadidja [Girl's Name]
3. Ya Loualid [Oh My Child]
4. Foug-E-Ramla [On the Sand]
5. Deblet Gualbi [My Heart Wilts Without Her]
6. Sahr Liyali [Going out Every Night]
7. Sidi Boumedienne [Holyman, Political Leader, Warrior and Scientist .]
8. Mal Galbi [What Happens to My Heart]

CD Details

All Artists: Various Artists
Title: Rai Rebels
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Earthworks [Virgin]
Release Date: 12/1/1995
Genres: International Music, Special Interest, Pop
Styles: Africa, Middle East, By Decade, 1970s, 1980s
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 740042150720

Synopsis

Amazon.com

The cream of Algerian pop-rai's boy Chebs and girl Chabas appear on this remarkable 1988 anthology of hits produced by the late Rachid Baba Ahmed, who adds guitars, drums, lots of keyboards, and the occasional accordion to vocals declaimed spontaneously over a click track. Despite the musical retrofitting, international hits like Chaba Fadela and Cheb Sabroui's "N'Sel Fik (You Are Mine)" maintain an utterly rocking presence through which rai's Bedouin roots, Moroccan melodies, and North African rhythms may be clearly discerned. Rai means "opinion," and the rebellious subject matter touches on universal teenage angst, unadulterated sexual desire, and late-night drinking parties. Rai "king" Cheb Khaled proves the exception to the decadent rule with his boisterous, echoey tribute to Sidi Boumedienne, a scientist, holy man, and politico of the Middle Ages. --Richard Gehr

CD Reviews

Rai rocks !

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 04/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've never had the opportunity to hear Rai, this is a wonderful introduction to it. This fabulous music from Oran is one of the best for dancing, with its pulsating rhythms and marvelous Arabic melodies.It starts out with "N'Sel Fik" ("You are Mine"), sung by the great Chaba Fadela, and her husband, the equally terrific Cheb Sahraoui, who's intro to the song is one of the most sensual sounds I've ever heard...the song was a big hit for the couple in '86, and continues to enthrall 15 years later.Produced by Rachid Baba, the other artists on this CD are Cheb Khaled, who is worthy of his label as "King of Rai", and who sings a solo, as well as a duet with another top female voice, Chaba Zahouania. The CD is rounded out with songs from Houari Benchenet, and Cheb Hamid.The booklet includes a brief history of Rai music, the story of how Rachid managed to record songs that were initially only improvised and hard to repeat, and the cover photo is of the irrepressible King, Cheb Khaled."

Great percussion, hypnotic melody

Jeannette Belliveau | Baltimore, MD United States | 01/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Rai Rebels captures the liberation music found in the port city of Oman in Algeria. Hypnotic Arab melodies marry a strong percussive beat for some of the most distinctively compelling music around. I could listen to "Sidi Boumeddiene" by Cheb Khaled on repeat for hours on end, for the extended instrumental of fading drums that make its conclusion.Unfortunately some of the other tunes are a bit monotonous, but what is good on this CD is very, very fine indeed -- nothing like it."

You will not regret it!

Alejandra Vernon | 03/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Knew nothing about Rai but this made me a convert, so much so that probably any other Rai CD will not be able to match it. Every song is indeed hypnotic. Incredible!"