Most Westerners probably don't really think of the Sahara Desert as a hotbed (sorry) of musical culture, so it might be hard to know what to expect from this collection. As it turns out, the music of the Sahara region seems to be pretty sedate and even delicate, which makes a certain kind of sense when you think about it -- blistering heat and raging winds probably create neither a desire to dance around a lot nor much of a taste for wild raving noise. The songs that feature voices singing in Arabic and accompanied by mysterious-sounding fretted instruments are the least surprising, and they also provide some of the lightest and loveliest moments on the disc: "Al Jbal Li Dargoug Aaaliya" by Compagnie Jellouli & Gdih, for example, and Tinariwen's "Alkhar Dessouf" (which features electric guitar and a muted drum as well). Several tracks are characterized by an understated rhythmic intricacy that is easy to miss if you aren't paying attention -- try sorting out the polyrhythmic strands that make up Chet Féwet's "Tadzi-Out," for example. "Malfa Sibori," by Seckou Maïga, is the album's only real disappointment, and even that song is only tedious rather than actually unpleasant. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
TRACK LISTINGS
[01]. Al Jbal Li Dargoug Aaaliya
[02]. Jraad - Malouma
[03]. Alkhar Dessouf - Tinariwen
[04]. Hakmet Lakdar - Hasna el Becharia
[05]. Tadzi-Out
[06]. ?Dios Mio!
[07]. Bleida - Nayim Alal
[08]. Id Chab - Mariem Hassan
[09]. Ikruhuwaten
[10]. Malfa Sibori
[11]. Tagot
[12]. Ihama
[13]. Fid El Yourn
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[02].THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF SUDAN
This overview of modern and traditional music from Sudan, a huge desert region just south of the Sahara, offers an interesting mix of urban studio tracks and rural field recordings, along with tracks that seem to fall somewhere in between. At one extreme are the eerily lovely voices of the Omdurman Women's Ensemble, singing a naughty song of political commentary titled "Daloka Bet el Mal," and the even eerier and lovelier unnamed solo vocalist who sings a lament titled "Ee Wayi, Wayi, Hauya Agreement Tilaloni." The sound quality is dodgy on these two tracks, but the music is more than powerful enough to compensate. At the other extreme is Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier who has become a rock star in his native country by combining American hip-hop with indigenous Sudanese musical elements. Somewhere in between are Joseph Modi's reggae-inflected "In Kadugli," Mohammed Wardi's energetic "Azibni," and the somewhat overlong "Kabbas" by elder statesman Abdel Karim el Kabli. Overall, this album probably won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it's hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy at least some of it very much. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
TRACK LISTINGS
[01]. Aguis Mahasnik Biman - Rasha
[02]. Kabbas - Abdel Karim el Kabli
[03]. Gua - Emmanuel Jal
[04]. Tour to Africa - Tarig Abubakar,
[05]. Sawani - Setona
[06]. In Kadugli [#]
[07]. Chant 1 [#]
[08]. Na-Nu Na-Nu - Abdel Aziz el Mubarak
[09]. Ya Jamil Ya Mudalal - Mustafa Al Sunni
[10]. Azibni [Live] - Mohammed Wardi
[11]. Habibi - Muhamed el Amin
[12]. Daloka Bet el Mal [#]
[13]. Ee Wayi, Wayi, Hauya Agreement Tilaloni
[14]. Mal Wa Ihtagab - Abdel Gadir Salim
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[03].THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF ETHIOPIA
Taking something of a break from their usual tendency to take a wide range of music from an area, the folks at Rough Guide have this time around focused their attention in on only one major aspect of Ethiopian music: the 'swinging '60s''. Admittedly, this is by far the most important period in Ethiopian popular music, with everything since being shaped, in some part, by the stars of the day. The sound is entirely unique, much like the rest of the nation's identity. During this period of creative exploration, the sound of Addis Ababa's nightlife was cemented to some extent, making heavy use of atypical piano progressions by masters such as Alemayehu Eshete and Girma Bèyènè, and jumping, roving, off-balance but powerful horn arrangements (the brass section was just developed in the last century, after a gift from Russian tsars to the country's official bands around the turn of the century). Vocals cover the range from the same sort of roving aesthetic to the more popularized and somewhat more streamlined concepts of Mahmoud Ahmed. Somewhat more modern stars are also represented, hailing largely from the time of the 'Derg', under a Stalinist government -- Aster Aweke and Netsanet Mellesse both hail from this period, though their ultimate popularity has come afterward. Despite the lack of the more ancient sounds of Ethiopia (there is one piece played on the ancient begena here), it's an outstanding album, with an interesting focus on some of the slickest, jazziest, and yet most foreign-sounding music many Westerners are likely to hear. Give it a spin or two just for curiosity's sake, but keep listening to the hooks. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
TRACK LISTINGS
[01]. Addis Ababa Bete - Alemayehu Eshete
[02]. Ene Negn Bay Manesh - Girma Beyene
[03]. Altchalkum - Moges Habte
[04]. Dodge - Netsanet Mellesse
[05]. Muziqawi Silt - Wallias Band
[06]. Tchewata - Fanaye Tesfaye
[07]. Sele Sene Seqlet - Alemu Aga
[08]. Y'Shebellu - Aster Aweke
[09]. Antchi Hoye Lene - Yared Tefera
[10]. Alegntaye - Tlahoun Gessesse
[11]. Bemen Sebeb Letlash - Mahmoud Ahmed
[12]. Hasabe - Teshome Meteku
[13]. Sabye - Mulatu Astatqe
[14]. Ete Endenesh Gedawo - Muluqen Mellesse
[15]. Medley - Aldaneh Teka
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[04].THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF MOROCCO
Given the diversity and relative success of Moroccan music in recent years, it's something of a surprise that it took the folks at Rough Guide this long to put together a compilation. That said, this one was probably worth the wait. The single-disc compilation makes a run through the majority of the major forms of Moroccan music in vogue currently, with some omissions and some extra attention here and there as needed. It opens up with a contemporary version of the classic Gnawa forms that will play a prominent role in the album (as they do in Moroccan music in general). Quickly following is a track from the classic Jil Jilala troupe, fusing Gnawa with the poetic melhoun tradition and some contemporary chaabi pop from Najm el Fara Essafi. The girls of Bnet Marrakech contribute a heavy-duty thumping Berber groove, followed immediately by the more relaxed (and far more sophisticated) melhoun singing of Mohamed Amenzou. After a lengthy spoken word introduction, the "Rolling Stones of North Africa" Nass el Ghiwane provide one of their classic 1970s politically infused Gnawa tracks to center the album between the old and new rather symbolically. Expatriate Emil Zrihan follows with a moving song from the Andalusian traditions prior to the reconquista of Spain and the much later return of Jews to the Middle East after WWII, and Dar Gnawa show off the latest and greatest in their own looping style of Moroccan rap, a fusionary, multilingual form of the youth that's been gaining ground very quickly in recent years. Fatna Bent el Houcine is added in here as a display of the powerful female al aita singers, and the contemporary Gnawa fusionist Hassan Hakmoun makes the most obvious bridge between old and new, with a use of minors that almost makes the track sound like rai for short periods. Finally, the album completes with another chaabi star in Mustapha Bourgogne, who combines his violin with his somewhat thin vocals to create a sturdy dance beat for the masses. Given the diversity of Moroccan music, this compilation does an admirable job of including all of the major forms, and perhaps even more importantly, the interweaving of the various traditional forms, as al aita and chaabi intermingle a bit, and Gnawa ideas infuse seemingly everything else. Moroccan music deserves the acclaim it's been receiving in the past few decades, and this album pays a fine tribute to its power and emotion. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
TRACK LISTINGS
[01]. Zeye Meyel - Nass Marrakech
[02]. Baba Aadi - Jil Jilala
[03]. Bay-Bay - Najm El Farah Essafi
[04]. Leilaa Lill - Bnet Marrakech
[05]. Touria - Mohamed Amenzou
[06]. Mahmouna - Nass El Ghiane
[07]. Yedidim Hiou Zehirim - Emil Zrihan
[08]. Hijra (Trad Mix) - U-Cef
[09]. Taala Fine Ghadi - Fatna Bent El Houcine
[10]. Lala Aisha - Hassan Hakmoun
[11]. haliou Loudid Lamimtou - Mustapha Bourgogne
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[05].THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF EGYPT
Although the album is subtitled "Cairo to Nubia: the source of Arabic music," the booklet takes care to point out that there's no classical Arab music here -- which perhaps explains the absence of Umm Kulthum, the greatest icon of Arab music. Instead, the concentration is on modern-day stars, and they don't come any bigger than Amr Diab, who gets two tracks, and deservedly so. His pop music keeps its roots firmly in Egypt under a gloss that never tries too hard to be international. A couple of the old-timers -- Warda and Mohamed Abdel Wahab -- are represented, and Abdel Halim Hafez proves to be the real link between the past and the present with "Ahwak." The inclusion of cuts from four Nubians is interesting, showing different facets of the music they've brought to Egypt. Both Mahmoud Fadl and Ali Hassan Kuban display their backgrounds proudly, while Hamza el Din forged a new fusion of styles in his music and Mohamed Mounir is almost a law unto himself, with a sound that's absolutely unique (and enthralling on "Sala Fi Serri We Gahri"). Angham and the interesting Nagat el Saghira both also warrant a pair of cuts, but their material simply isn't as strong -- too formulaic and ultimately bland. Nonetheless, this is an interesting portrait of Egyptian music at the beginning of the 21st century. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
TRACK LISTINGS
[01]. Leih Sebtaha - ANGHAM
[02]. Aktar Wahed Beyhebak - Amr Diab
[03]. Ana Basshaq El Bahr - Nagat El Saghira
[04]. Hayart Albi Maak - Mahmoud Fadl
[05]. Henna - Ali Hassan Kuban
[06]. Sala Fi Serri We Gahri - Mohamed Mounir
[07]. Tedhak Alaia - ANGHAM
[08]. Adini Regeatelek - Amr Diab
[09]. Jafnoho Allama El Ghazal - Mohamed Abdel Wahab
[10]. Walaw Ennak Ya Habibi Beied - Warda
[11]. Nabra (Gold Ore) - Hamza El Din
[12]. Ah Law Tearaf - Nagat El Saghira
[13]. Ahwak - Abdel Halim Hafez
| MP3 VBR kbps | Incl. Covers | 95 MB |
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[06].THE ROUGH GUIDE TO ALI HASSAN KUBAN
The late Ali Hassan Kuban was Nubia's greatest musical treasure, a man who helped make the region's music internationally known with a fire and a funk few have managed to duplicate. While this draws mostly from his five albums (with a big emphasis on Nubian Magic and Real Nubian: Cairo Wedding Classics), that's none the worse, making it a perfect introduction to the man from Nubia whose heart was in Muscle Shoals (or maybe Memphis -- either Tennessee or Egypt). And for the diehards who already love him, there are two excellent live cuts; the first, "Henna," from 1992, simply screams with energy, a man with a lot to say who is eager to be heard. "Gammal," from five years later, is equally powerful, but more subtle; Kuban had learned he didn't have to get in anyone's face to be listened to. The man made some remarkable music, blending Nubian and Egyptian elements with a natural feel for soul that crossed all geographical boundaries. He'll be missed, and this is an ideal tribute. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
TRACK LISTINGS
[01]. Habibi
[02]. Mabruk
[03]. Sukkar, Sukkar, Sukkar
[04]. Hadouda
[05]. Bettitogor Agil
[06]. Walla Abshero
[07]. Henna [Live][#]
[08]. Mabrouk Wo Arisna
[09]. Maria-Maria
[10]. Samiry
[11]. Gammal
[12]. Eshmana
[13]. Daiman
[14]. Hela Houb
[15]. Gammal [Live][#]
| MP3 VBR kbps | Incl. Covers | 95 MB |
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[07].THE ROUGH GUIDE TO RAI
Rai isn't the only music in Algeria, but it might as well be. Like reggae in Jamaica, it's the musical representation of the country that's familiar to others. This compilation offers a quick guide to the sound of Algeria -- or, more specifically, the city of Oran -- and a tour through a music that's evolved from a raw, acoustic sound of voices, flutes, and drums to something as high-tech as any music anywhere. The biggest names, Cheb Mami and Khaled, are here (Khaled represented by a stunning track from his early "Cheb" days, "Ya Loualid"), and Cheikha Remitti, justifiably called rai's grandmother, is naturally included. The delight is in the details in-between, people like trumpeter Bellemou, the first person to really revolutionize the style, or the stunning Fadela and her husband, Sahraoui, on the synth-powered '80s cut, "La Verite." Chaba Zahouania, once tipped for stardom, shows why she was considered so good, and, as a reminder that Oran can be a dangerous place, there's a cut from the late Cheb Hasni, the romantic soul of rai, who was gunned down for no apparent reason in 1994. And then there's Abdou, something of an anomaly in many ways, a cross-dresser in an Arab country, who performs more in the female meddahate style, and Malik, whose "N'Touma," in his techno-rai style, is as sophisticated as anything coming out of the West. While this album doesn't dig back all the way to the roots -- no Cheikh Hamada, for example -- it's an excellent summation of modern rai's history. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
TRACK LISTINGS
[01]. Ana aachki bahloul - Abdou
[02]. Lazrag saani - Cheb Mami
[03]. N'touma - Malik
[04]. Moul el bar - Cheb Zahouani
[05]. Moulay Ibrahim - Cheb Anouar
[06]. Guendouzi mama - Cheikha Remitti
[07]. Nediha gaouria - Bellemou
[08]. Consulat - Cheba Nouria
[09]. Shab el baroud - Cheba Zahouania
[10]. Menghirek entia fi dounia - Cheb Hasni
[11]. Ya loualid - Cheb Khaled
[12]. La verite - Fadela & Sahraoui
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[08].THE ROUGH GUIDE TO Arabic Cafe
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