African Tuesday: Rai Meets reggae
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Artist:Fadela & Leroy Sibbles
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Album:Big Men: Rai Meets Reggae
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Track:Artificial Tears
In 2001, producer Martin Meissonier (who has previously worked with Fela Kuti and Salif Keita) and Jamaican engineer Godwin Logie had the idea of mixing together Algerian rai tracks recorded in Oran, and Jamaican dancehall tunes. And so it came to pass that Sly & Robbie and Studio One keyboard king Robert Lyn found themselves sharing the billing with oud player Abdelaziz "Alla" Abdalla, drummer Moktar Samba, and even Danny Thompson, most famous as John Martyn's bassist, as they sought to weave together Algerian and jamaican sounds into a whole new style.
To be honest, not all of the album works, but when it does it hits the spot. Here are Leroy Sibbles of the Heptones and Chaba Fadela
Comments (5)
And here is Horace Andy from the same album, performing a song of his own called "Positive", which features a sample of a 1928 Algerian recording "Dajit Min Souz Samrat" by Aissa Jermouni El Harkati.
The description and the Horace Andy track have me intrigued, but niehter of these cuts really blows my skirt up. Might have to do some homework. Thanks for sharing, though.
Hmmmmm.
Chaba Fadela was not one of my favorites in the late 80s and early 90s. She was produced by Rachid, who I thought beat the heart out of Rai electronically. Fadela seemed to be belting it out without emotional dynamics. (I favor Cheb Mami and Cheb Kaled.) But here, she's about my favorite part, albeit brief. Interesting sampling on the second one. The way the voice is manipulated to morph into a reed instrument, as I hear it.
i really like the idea, and they seem to make the best of it. i think i'd like it more without the Oran voice singing. i DIG the Horace Andy version! and of course Sly & Robbie sound heavy.
thanks for posting this track up, especially since it's so unusual. i love just knowing that this tune exists even tho i probably wouldn't want a whole album of Algerian dancehall fusion... Horace Andy sounds like he's really enjoying himself too!