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.
This album features :
Drums : Michel Galon ;
Guitar : Jean Lopez ;
Bass Guitar : Alex Sanders-Nace ;
Synth : Eko Roosevelt ;
Percussions : Sidney ;
Saxophone/Flute : Jean Bremzet ;
Saxophone (solo) : Freh Khodja ;
Trumpets : Michel Barrot, Jean Buzon ;
Trombone : Jacques Bolognesi ;
Violins : M. Berthier ;
Chorus : Tarik Chikhi, Grazellia Madrigal, Aïda Nassim ;
Grazellia Madrigal ;
Directed by : Eric Siota ;
(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 !
Abdelkader “Free” Khodja – Nadim (Je Regrette) (Algeria, 1976, Disques Espérance)
You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/phLsaOaTFCM
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Have a nice Wednesday, see you on next Sunday for another musical (re)discovery !
Armand de Preseau
