His new album, Rock El Casbah: Best of, was released on July 1st in North America, and Taha will be performing several dates across North America, including tomorrow night at The Phoenix in Toronto as part of Small World Music's well-programmed Summerworld Festival.
 

Q: There are plenty of media-made labels your music, but I'd be interested to hear how you describe it.
A: I was delighted to read that someone asked Frank Zappa to describe his music and he replied: "If you've never eaten cous-cous you can't understand my music." I feel the same! I wasn't surprised to hear that from Zappa though cause he's of Sicilian origin - just across the Mediterranean from Algeria. 

Q: What do you make of the term world music?
A: One of those catch-all phrases that makes no sense and a lot of sense, both at the same time. We're all influenced by so many things and in turn influence others. Someone came up with the term world music so as they could sling a lot of stuff together in the record stores that they didn't know where else to put it - but now with the internet, everything's changed and i think people's tastes are changing too. You could say that they're getting better educated about stuff - maybe.

Q: You cover Rock the Casbah and Luce Strummer made a rare appearance to present you with the BBC award.  Do you feel a kinship with The Clash?
A: Well, there you are. That was a World Music Award - North African category. Turn right at West Africa! No, it was great, and a real honour to have Luce Strummer, whose husband I so admired, come and present the award to me and say so many nice things about me. She said that I embodied Joe's spirit. Wow! That was big thing for me to hear!
 
Q: Please describe your experience growing up as an Algerian in France. How did it influence you musically?
A: You know my earliest musical influences were Bollywood. I loved Indian films. Not just me. They're really popular throughout the Arab world but especially in North Africa. Then there was Raï that my parents and their friends listened to at home and at weddings and on family social occasions. Then there was the music that my friends and I liked: Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton . And then there was French music that we'd hear on the radio: Johnny Halliday, Jacques Brel, et cetera. My earliest and biggest influences were cinematographic.

Q: You've collaborated with  Brian Eno, Robert Plant and Patti Smith. Are there any Canadian artists  you'd be keen to collaborate  with?
A: Yes, sure. Daniel Lanois. Neil Young. William Shatner!
 
Q: When you look out into  the audience at your shows, who is looking back at you? Punks, Arabic  music fans, world music  fans?
A: It's all sorts. Exactly as you describe. 
 
Q: What have your experiences travelling in Canada been? Any particularly fond or harrowing recollections?
A: I've had a lot of great experiences in Canada. One recollection from last year was when I was invited to perform at the Montreal Jazz Festival. I heard that some journalist were complaining about this, saying: 'what's this guy got to do with jazz?'. So when I got there, I asked the organizers who was the first major jazz artist that had performed at their first festival. They said Miles Davis. Then I asked what was the first tune he'd played. They said Summertime. So that was what i opened my set with. My little demo against classification! Anyway, there were 100,000 people there that seemed to enjoy it!

-by Brad Frenette