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CD Review
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Santa Fe New Mexican, CD Review >>
Here's a splendid blend of musics, basically traditional Arabic wiih various Western dance styles, that reflect cultural connections. At the heart of much of this popular music of the Maghreb (primarily Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) is rai, a youthful rebellion music, like rock 'n' roll in America, that developed 50 years ago in Algeria. The Putumayo sampler holds modern examples by Khaled, Cheb Mami, and Faudel -- who are known, respectively, as the king, prince, and little prince rai. Other standouts on this album are "Aal Eah" from the latest hit alburn by Samara Saeid, a beauty who gained fame in an American IdoI-type television show in her native Morocco, and "On the Ride" by a German D] and Turkish musician known as the Eastenders, wbo whip up an exotic stew with Egyptian-German vocalist Shady Sheha, Most of North African Groove is heavy on the drumbeat -- its designed to get elbows, hips, and feet movin' -- but with intriguing edges. As the selection plays out, you hear strains of Cuban music, reggae, techno, funk, disco, and other Western elements that have inspired these musicians.
-Paul Weideman 06/10/05
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