Folk and classical vocal music, compiled from the archives of Algerian Radio.

Rachid Taha (nacido el 18 de septiembre de 1958 en Orán) es un cantante argelino. Propone una música emblemática de la tendencia a la mezcla de las clases y tradiciones culturales característica de las músicas del mundo. Este último en distintos géneros musicales como el raï, el tecno, el rock. Crea al compás de sus álbumes un discurso musical inventivo y original. Además su voz ronca y áspera ofrece una versión muy moderna del raï contemporáneo.

Rachid Taha (nacido el 18 de septiembre de 1958 en Orán) es un cantante argelino. Propone una música emblemática de la tendencia a la mezcla de las clases y tradiciones culturales característica de las músicas del mundo. Este último en distintos géneros musicales como el raï, el tecno, el rock. Crea al compás de sus álbumes un discurso musical inventivo y original. Además su voz ronca y áspera ofrece una versión muy moderna del raï contemporáneo.

The Algeria-born Massi is sometimes referred to as the "Arabic Tracey Chapman"--but given her espousal of social and political issues, comparisons to dauntless advocates like Joan Baez, and especially, Israel's Chava Alberstein are far more apt. For her second album, the gently courageous singer applies her cool, sweet, preternaturally flexible voice and folk-influenced guitar to tales about love, parental concerns, and the universal longing for personal freedom.

An album destined for North American shelves culled from the 80 or so cassettes available in Algeria by the great Cheb Hasni, who was gunned down by fundamentalists early in his career. Hasni was to be the heir to the throne of Khaled, and this album, to a degree, shows off why. The poetic lyrics are of love, love lost, and societal unrest. His voice has that necessary wavering that seemingly goes hand in hand with proper rai, and his keyboard work isn't lagging far behind.

Al-Djazaïriya Al-Mossiliya Association one of the most representative and one of the strongest of these associations. It was founded in 1932 with the symbolic name al-Mossiliya;this name was chosen as a tribute to a legendary family of Iraq musicians, Ibrahim and Ishaq al-Mawsili, who lived during the Abassidyan Empire(8-9 centuries).

With his previous album, Tékitoi, providing some outstanding contemporary ideas in the realm of rai, Rachid Taha returns on Diwan 2 to more rootsy sounds, reminiscent (of course) of Diwan. The sound is derived from some of Taha's musical influences: largely from Algeria and the exile population in France, but with a couple of originals, some French influences, and a couple from Egypt. The album starts out with an old piece from Mohamed Mazouni and a much more relaxed tone than many of Taha's opening tracks on other albums.

Rachid Taha returns with the equally impressive Tekitoi, his fifth album. Taha has long mixed North African rai and chaabi with alternative rock, electronic sounds (Brian Eno co-writes one song), techno rhythms and a smattering of other styles.

Espior, the second album from Abdel Ali Slimani, former vocalist with Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart, finds him moving away from the dub-rai of his debut towards a north-African-meets-electro dance sound. Not that there aren't a few skanking bass lines lurking in here. In fact one of the best tracks ("El-Arabia") was produced by UK dub master Rootsman at his Bradford studio.

Dans le paysage musical classique actuel, Omar Benamara fait l’un des parcours artistique les plus original et atypique de sa génération. Issu de la pure tradition musicale Algéroise, il poursuit aujourd’hui une carrière lyrique à l’opéra national de Paris où il est artiste des choeurs titulaire assurant des rôles de soliste depuis 1994. Lauréat du Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris et de plusieurs concours nationaux et internationaux de chant, il a également été chanteur au Théâtre Musical de Paris Châtelet durant 15 années.