Introduce me to Arabic music

[Daoloth]

So, introduce me to music in the Arabic language. Pop, electronic, rap, rock, doesn't matter. Thus far my knowledge is limited essentially to Baaba Mal (sp?) and Marcel Khalif. Enlighten me, Dopers.

[London_Calling]

Why not use Internet radio - plenty of DJ's / programmes playing 'world music' out there.

Two of the better known over here are Charlie Gillett: Link One and Link Two


and Andy Kershaw

- both seem to be good resources as well.

[PharmBoy]

Why??

[pokey]

I have a cool sampler of Egiptian/Lebanese/Syrian pop artists. I like it a lot. It's called Camelspotting.

[The Asbestos Mango]

Arabic Groove and [i]Desert Roses[i] volumes one and two...

Cheb Mami is pretty cool, too, and Natacha Atlas just ROCKS!!!

[pizzabrat]

Watch Block13, a Kuwaiti rip-off of South Park. It's chock full of fun Arabic songs.

[noddygrrl]

The Six Degrees record label has a compilation called 'Arabian Travels' featuring contemporary electronic styles fused with Arabian music. You can read about it here: http://www.sixdegreesrecords.com/tra...vels/index.htm

[Eve]

I was in a NYC cab a few years ago, and the Mideastern, turbanned driver was playing some kind of Arabic music. It sounded like two cats being dragged over a xylophone to me, but I decided to jump in and ask him about it. He was so delighted that a passenger expressed interest (other than "turn that crap off!") that he translated it: it was a love song, and he explained the plot as the song developed.

I still didn't care for it musically, but now I hear it differently.

[London_Calling]

I’d tend to agree with Eve when it’s in its unadulterated form but some of the crossover stuff is stunning. I particularly like the fusion with modern Jazz that many British/Euro born Arabs are into .. a whole range of original sounds, though I’m getting a little old for the somewhat trippy stuff, maybe.

[JayElle]

Thea Logica is right - Cheb Mami is awesome.

I like his [i]Dellali[i] cd - it's mostly in Algerian dialect or a combination of French and Algerian, but the emotion of the songs comes through clearly.

[Charlie Tan]

Onne of the most accessible would be Khaled. He makes rai music and has been produced by Don and Dave Was. I have a couple of albums and enjoy them a lot.

Here's a link and here's another..

[Amethyst]

Peter Gabriel's soundtrack for 'The Last Temptation of Christ' which is called 'Passions', is essentially Peter Gabriel's interpretation of Arabic Music with some Arabic Musicians (such as Hossam Ramzy). Peter Gabriel's world music label (I forget the name) also did a CD of the sources for 'Passions' called 'Passion Sources' (gee go figure!) This CD has an interesting selection of everything from some Hossam Ramzy to the Call to Prayer to a Traditional Morrocan wedding song (a Sheikhatt). The Amazon website has some song samples from this CD.

(I'ld also recommend Hossam Ramzy's music .. he has performed with many 'western' performers and has done Jazz music as well as Arabic)

[Yookeroo]

Passion is a great fucking CD.

[Blackeyes]

Man, Arabic music is so cool. I love that stuff because it can be so beautiful and amazing. It's a trip, man, it really is.

[Yookeroo]

It really can be great trip music.

[Tblue]

Another vote for "Passion" here!

[Collounsbury]

Well I did a search on Arab and ran across this thread.

Let me share some observations.

(A) In regards to a decent overview, the Rough Guide to World Music published some years ago should be useful, although moderately dated. As I recall from reading it, now several years ago, it did tend a bit towards some arch opinions but none of the purist rubbish that infects so many comments on non-Western music.
(B) On Arab Music or MENA region Music there are a wide variety of styles, with very clear regional differences. You may wish to get some sampler CDs to discern what you like. Tastes differ. I, for example, despite what I call Egypto-Pop, that oversythesized rubbish turned out of Cairo in recent years. Amer Diab is a clear example, for all that he has some catchy tunes.
(C) Regionally African Islamic music may be more accessible for some tastes, and shares much with, for example, North African Arab styles. Note, for example, that Baaba Maal is not an Arab at all. He is a Peul from Senegal, actually I believe I recall he is Takrouri in descent but no matter. Nice guy by the way, met him once in passing, and stunning live performer. I personally prefer his earlier work, and his joint work with Mansour Seck. They both large sing in Wolof and Pulaar with some Arabic thrown in. In the same vein you’ll find Salif Keita and Ali Farka Toure both making interesting combinations of Islamic African and Western, esp. Jazz and Latin, music. The later two fellows are Malians and sing in a variety of languages.

Now on to some specifics:

Major Regions:

IMO we can break this out into
(1) North Africa
(2) Egypt & the Sham
(3) Sudan
(4) Gulf

For every one of these you will find the old roots Classical Arab styles and the old traditional popular styles, which I suspect will be hard going for the uninitiated. Even someone like me finds it hard to appreciate some stuff. Very different tonal ranges and the like.

I’m no musician nor expert, so the following are my own unlearned off the top of the head comments with those caveats:

Arab “classical” music is quite rhythmic in my opinion and rests heavily on the ‘Oud and tables, with the Qanoun and Nai also being important. See Abdul Wahab (or Simon Shaheens ‘remakes’ of him) and Oum Kalthoum (also written Oum/Um Kalsoum reflecting Egyptian dialect) for example. More modern but neo-classical in sound, in my opinion is Rabih Abou Khalil who gets into jazzy fusions with classical instrumental sounds.

An alternate school for ‘classical’ sound is the Andalousi school of North Africa, centered around Fes but also elsewhere. There are several forms of this, one very classical and sung in Fusha [Fus-ha] (‘Classical’ or Standard Arabic) another sung in a sort of semi-classical dialect. It sounds very distinct from eastern forms, and tends to the nasal in sound, but I prefer it to an extent.

Actually on the religious angle there are a series of CDs out from the Festival in Fes (Morocco) which are quite good, if somewhat eclectic compilations of broadly spiritual or religious music that give you an overview. The English name is escaping me right now, the Arabic name for the festival is, IIRC, Mahrajan al-Musiqah ar-Rouhiyah or something along those lines, but I seem to recall the official English translation differed from how I might translate the above. It’s been running since about ’98 (I attended the first in ’98 as I recall) so there should be a series now, but I have not kept up.

Now on popular modern music you’ve got two or three major ‘schools’ at present:

North Africa: Rai and Chaabi (that’s a French Ch, so it is sh not ch)

Rai is Khaled, Cheb Maami, Rachid Taha, and others. I would recommend those three, plus Cheikha Remitti, off the top of my head. There is a French published collection of Rai (and some more Moroccan Chaabi), a 4 CD set called Absolut Rai. It was a very modique $20 or so when I got it, and is an excellent introduction. The Rough Guide folks also have a collection that I heard that seemed very decent. I would also recommend “1,2,3 Soliels” collabo btw Khaled, Faudel and Taha. Faudel is another big guy, as is Cheb Hasni, but get the overview to get a sense.

North African Chaabi varies across North Africa, and I think it may be hard on the Western ears, as it tends to be less ‘Westernized’ and often very peculiarly (imo) Berber influenced with somewhat atonal characteristics (again to my unlearned ears). I personally like it, but imagine it is going to be too far off the reservation for the beginner. To my impression, the Moroccans are bigger with Chaabi than the Algerians, but there is no small degree of cross-over.

I should mention there is also Berber music, which is a thing on its own. I doubt most of it is accessible in the West, but let me recommend one France-based artist, Idir, who is brilliant. He sings in Taqbylt for the most part, and has a joint track with Maami on… I think Melli Melli as I recall which is brilliant (I found the song moving as it is a call for solidarity, sung bilingually in Algerian dialect and Berber, with a bilingual line/refrain that always makes me feel sad, “They’re our friends, brothers and neighbors…” (to my recollection, haven’t memorized it) If you know Algeria you know why.

Egypt: Pop
Well, I hate Egypt so me giving recommendations is something of a pretension. I will say that I largely despise what I call Egypto-pop, but I find Nuba music really interesting. Mounir is engaging, and there is another Nubian Egyptian singer whose name escapes me who does an interesting job of Egypto-Nuba pop crossover. Frankly, I consider almost anything out of Egypt post-1970 to be shit in general, but my prejudices are what they are.

Otherwise I would move down to Sudan for rather more interesting music. There is the group Salamat which is interesting, e.g. Mambo Sudani is a terribly cool song. Ali Hassan Kuban, who I believe I recall is Sudanese Nuba. I also recommend Abdel Gadir Salim All Star Band as another funky set of music, this time in Arabic.

Sham (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine):
Beirut turns out a lot of pop along the lines of Diana Haddad. I personally consider it higher quality than Egypto-pop but only just. Not bad stuff, synth heavy but not fundamentally interesting in my opinion. I listen to the stuff all the time, but never retain the names. If you look up a collection features Ms. Haddad you will get the school. IMO the Syrians have a more interesting range, regrettably no names leap to mind, but that’s more laziness than anything. Iraqis are also quite good, and while perhaps their pop is not really of this school – or better perhaps Syrians and Iraqis should be put off on their own. There is one fellow whose name is escaping me right now (handsome devil he is, very popular with the ladies) who I should rec.

Gulf:
I like the stuff but have nothing to recommend off the top of my head. Generally much “rootsier” than the typical Leb and Egyptian stuff, more “Arab” feeling.

The Turbanned driver was highly unlikely btw to have been Arab.

[Collounsbury]

Originally posted by Collounsbury There is one fellow whose name is escaping me right now (handsome devil he is, very popular with the ladies) who I should rec.

Hah. Came to me, Kazem el Saher. Iraqi actually.

[Eva Luna]

I love rai (and just about every kind of music out there, for that matter! if I didn't have to worry about paying the rent, I'd be an amateur ethnomusicolgist), but wish I could understand more of what was going on in the songs without resorting to the lyric sheets (when there are any included). Even Arabic-speaking friends have a hard time understanding the lyrics if they're not familiar with Algerian dialect.

The first rai album I ever heard was Chaba Fadela's You Are Mine. I fell in love and scoured NY until I found a copy; the dusty old vinyl is on the desk in front of me right now. Some bits from the liner notes:

"At the turn of the century, accompanied by rosewood flutes and percussion, the Bedouin chants of these nomadic herders were punctuated by the expression "Ya Rai": During the 20's and '30's, the cheikates, rural women singers, adapted the Bedouin Blues to their improvised words singing often of sex and alcohol: once it had arrived in Oran in the 1930's and 1940's the Rai began to take on the colours of the diverse commuities of the city: Algerian, Moroccan, Spanish (flamenco and paso doble), French and Gnaoui (Black African)."

From what I've read elsewhere, the current Algerian government is (predictably) not terribly fond of rai these days, and mch studio recording is done in Paris.

If you want to try out new musical styles, I'm very, very fond of the NPR program Afropop Worldwide. They have a web site, too, with discography and other info from recent programs, but I'm too lazy to look for it right now.

[Collounsbury]

Originally posted by Eva Luna
Even Arabic-speaking friends have a hard time understanding the lyrics if they're not familiar with Algerian dialect.

Derrija is a pain to follow if you have not lived there. Even I have a hard go of it sometimes.

"At the turn of the century, accompanied by rosewood flutes and percussion, the Bedouin chants of these nomadic herders were punctuated by the expression "Ya Rai": During the 20's and '30's, the cheikates, rural women singers, adapted the Bedouin Blues to their improvised words singing often of sex and alcohol: once it had arrived in Oran in the 1930's and 1940's the Rai began to take on the colours of the diverse commuities of the city: Algerian, Moroccan, Spanish (flamenco and paso doble), French and Gnaoui (Black African)."

Gnaoui or Gnaoua music is not precisely 'Black African' -- the Gnaoua are a confrerie, a Sufi order largely made up of people descended from Africans slaves in North Africa. While their music is clearly influenced by their sub-Saharan African roots, it is equally part North African in origin. Odd stuff.

From what I've read elsewhere, the current Algerian government is (predictably) not terribly fond of rai these days, and mch studio recording is done in Paris.

Actually the current government has loosened up a bit, although prior governments were harshly oppressive when they paid attention. Variety of reasons, not all political.

More of a danger to Rai artists are the GIA, and related Islamist groups that have been known to assasinate singers.

[Eva Luna]

Well, I just went back and looked for the Afropop site: it's www.afropop.org. There is a ton of info on there that wasn't there the last time I looked. Could be worth exploring...

...but right now I'm in the middle of my usual Easter weekend ritual, which involves all four sides of Jesus Christ Supertar.

[futureman]

I'll second the vote for Idir,

I have only heard one song by this artist and it is called:

A Tulawin

and it is created by Manu Chao and Idir, I believe.
Again, the language isn't arabic, but it sounds (to my profoundly unexperienced in Arabic culture self) arabic. Anyway, I don't know if its a good example of an arabic-type song, but it is good at any rate. Acutally a lot of the song is in French. Its a really cool combo between Idir and manu chao, because I am also a big fan of his, and if you know Manu Chao, he has a song called "Denia" which is acually a remix of sorts of this particular song. They are both good, but "Denia" by Manu Chao would be easier to find on Kazaa (If you were of that inclination ; ) But anyway. These two songs have to do with Algeria. I saw the lyrics once and the script was in Arabic, but, of course it could be in a regional dialect as someone else pointed out earlier. Although it was pointed out that manu chao has Arabic in denia. I can't tell any difference between Arabic and an Algerian dialect (sorry, but I'd love to learn as I am a language lover).

Anyway, dowload......I mean buy ; )..........both songs and give 'em a spin. I doubt that Manu would care if you didn't pay is record label anyway. He makes music for the good reasons.

BTW, on another topic, I would suggest giving Manu Chau a listen. Especially Proxima Estacion: Esperanza. Its a great disc (and I do own it). It has Denia, plus me gustas tu, plus other great tracks

[Collounsbury]

Language is Taqbylit, the Berber language of the Kabyle, whence comes Idir.

You should buy Idir's CD Identities, excellent and as I recall includes the song you cite.

[11811]

My current faves in Arabic music are Hamza el-Din, a Nubian oud player, and Rabih abou-Kahlil, a Lebanese oud player.

el-Din's album "el oud" is very traditional, mostly oud and voice. A later album, "A Wish," also features percussion and piano, and seems to take into consideration western styles of music as well.

abou-Kahlil's "Yara" features violin, viola and frame drum (think large tamborine). Very beautiful, stately, lots of motion. "Odd Times" features a larger band, including harmonica, tuba, full drum set, and more of a jazz feel.