For today, I wanted to share with you “Abadane” ( or “أبدًا” in Arabic, that means “Never”), a deep mind-blowing Psychedelic Soul Pop Rock track from Algeria, taken from the only single released in the early 70s by the Algerian band “Hourya” (“حرية” in Arabic, that means “Freedom”) composed with :
Bass Guitar, Vocals : Dahmane Mesbahi ;
Drums : Mahfoud Benkaci ;
Guitar, Vocals : Hocine Kezim, Saad Kezim ;
The two tracks that appears on that single were recorded in England, at the Castle recording studios, Leyland-Wigan.
Really hard to find single nowadays, hope you’ll like it – Enjoy !
For today, I wanted to share with you “Sid Houari Ya Mlah“, an insane groovy Electronic Synth Raï Funk Soul Boogie track taken from an obscure K7 tape recorded in France in the 80s & that is apparently the only album from the Algerian singer, horsewoman, theater actress and ex-academic scholar Chaba Malika Meddah.
This cassette was released on the mythical French tape label MCPE (or “Edition Production M.C.P.E.“) which brought together in the country the best productions of this style from this era.
Super obscure, hard to find and dancefloor tool here, hope you’ll like it – Enjoy !
For today, I wanted to share with you “Paris Dans Mon Sac“, an incredibly beautiful Soul Jazz ballad sung in French with Oriental flavors, recorded in 1965 by the Algerian singer & actress Fatima Zohra Badji (better known as “Noura”) on the French record label “Pathé“.
This song is backed by a beautiful orchestration by Larbi Zeggane (Kamal Hamadi on his artist’s name), a Kabyle Algerian songwriter and composer who was also Noura’s husband, and Roland Richard Vincent.
Cherry on the cake : this gorgeous cover art – Enjoy !
Noura (Fatima Zohra Badji) – Paris Dans Mon Sac (Algeria, 1965, Pathé)
For today, I wanted to share with you “Nadim (Je Regrette)“, an instant catchy Disco Soul Synth track from Maghreb, taken from the 2nd album recorded in 1978 in Paris by the musician (saxophone player) & composer Abdelkader “Freh” Khodja.
Abdelkader “Freh” Khodja was born in Sidi-Bel-Abbes (Algeria), on the 1st of January 1949.
At the age of fifteen, he began musical studies, entered the Conservatory, where he opted for the saxophone. Two years later, he began playing at open air dances, banquets, etc.
In March 1968, he travelled to France, and worked in different jobs to earn his living, including grill man in a restaurant. Then, he joined his brothers in Lyon, where he became a semi-professional performer at the city’s Winter Palace, and met his first band with whom he played Soul music.
Back in Paris, he and his group gradually appeared as stars at the “Bus Palladium” concert hall. After several tours in clubs, Freh abandoned Soul music for varieties, and left France for the United States, to Greenwich Village, to play in one of the most sumptuous establishments in the region. It was there that, by chance, improvising on his guitar & backed by his musicians, he sang for the first time in Arabic, which was instantly a big success.
Thus, was born an idyll : merging Arabic and pop influences in his music.
From that moment on, he made a point of honor to defend during all his musical career the promotion and acknowledgement of Arabic language in Western pop songs.
(Yes, this album features the legendary Cameroonian keyboardist Eko Roosevelt, whom we reissued a few years earlier a vinyl compilation on Nubiphone, one of the record labels I run !)
One of my personal favorite track in the genre, that always set the dance floor on fire when I play it during my DJ sets – Enjoy !
For today, I wanted to share with you “Nabghik Nabghik Chkoune Yedik“, a dope powerful Proto Raï Folk Soul track, take from an ultra hard to find single recorded in the 70s by the Algerian singer & composer Boussouar El Maghnaoui on the mythical Parisian record label “Sawt Hilali“.
One of my personal favorite track in the genre, that always set the dance floor on fire when I play it during my DJ sets – Enjoy !
For today, I wanted to share with you “Wahdi” (“Alone” in Arabic), a bewitching deep Psychedelic Arabic Jazz Soul Rock track from Algeria with nice electric guitar & organ parts, recorded in 1978 on the mythical Algerian vinyl record label “Oasis Disques” by the composer & musician Abdelkrim “Krikri” Zouaoui native of the city of Constantine, former leader of the band “The Blue Jeans” that was tragically murdered a few years later in 1985.
For today, I wanted to share with you “Ana Fi El Houb” (“أنا في الحب”) (“I’m in love“), a splendid & melancholic Oriental Arabic Latin Bolero Jazz track, cover of the all-time classic « Historia De Un Amor », recorded in 1955 by the Panamanian artist Carlos Almaran.
The version presented here was reinterprated in the early 60s by Elie “Lili” Boniche (ليلي بونيش), the legendary Algerian composer & singer of Andalusian-Arab music on the famous Parisian record label Dounia (دنياء) – Enjoy !
Lili “Elie” Boniche – Ana Fi El Houb (ليلي بونيش – أنا في الحب)
For today, I wanted to share “Gasba Touila Et Gallal“, a raw hypnotic & bouncy Algerian Rai Folk Jazz Blues track with dope Gallal (Algerian drums) & Gasba Touila (Algerian flute), taken from a very hard to find LP that was part of a boxset privately edited and promotionally distributed by the national Algerian Ministry of Culture (that was part the legendary Algerian composer & musician Ahmed Malek) intended to promote national folk recordings – Enjoy !
Ministere de l’Information et de la Culture (Unkown Artist) – Gasba Touila Et Gallal (Genre Oranais)
For today, I wanted to share with you “Alkalkaliw“, a powerful & catchy Oriental Disco track taken from the rare 1st album of the Algerian Kabyle singer Malika Dormane recorded in 1980, also compiled at the time in this ultra hard to find compilation (look at this gorgeous cover art !) intended to promote Kabylian music – Enjoy !
Following to this former post, I wanted to share with you for today “Je Suis Seul“, a killer percussive Folk Jazz track with bewitching violins & raw darbouka drums that deals about an impossible love between a gold digger & a poor musician, recorded in 1975 by the legendary algerian composer & singer Mohamed Mazouni – Enjoy !
