Morocco music reviews

I heard him in NYC's Central Park in July and bought the CD. Emil Zrihan is a master of Judeo-Andalusian and Moroccan Jewish music. Andalusian "al Tarib" music dates to the Ninth Century Cordoban court of Emir Abdu Rahman lbn al Hakam. It is Hispanic-Maghreban in style. Born in Rabat in 1954, Emil Zrihan came to Israel in 1963 at the age of 9. After his arrival in Israel, he studied Piutim with Rabbi Shlomo Ouanounou and for 3 years he appeared in the "Folklore of the Orient" television program. In his youth, Mr. Zrihan was dubbed the "Israeli Joselito" in reference to great Spanish singer. With his unique vibrato voice, Mr. Zrihan has established a reputation of a great Cantor among the large public who frequents the Synagogues during the High Holidays. His many appearances both in Israel and in the world attract large attendance. The impressive vocal range on this CD and power of Zrihan's counter tenor express both the emotional intensity of North African religious song and the vivacity of Andalusian music. The guest of honour on this CD, Baldi Olier, adds the sensitivity tempered with pride of his guitar playing style, which stems from the purest of flamenco tradition. This extraordinary album is elegant, light, playful and invites the listeners to move and shake, to click their fingers, to clap their hands and inevitably, to dance.

I decided to purchase this cd exclusively because of the listener reviews. I had neither heard nor heard of Emil Zrihan before. Two years and countless playbacks later, Ashkelon is still as fresh and exhilarating, lyrical and rapturous, as it was when I first heard it. A flamenco guitar nimbly wraps itself around Zrihan's haunting and electrifying voice in songs that celebrate everything from the sacred to the sensual. The album's appeal is universal, as friends from Canada, England, Singapore, South Africa, and the United States will attest!

This is a great disk. I saw this group tonight in Los Angeles, under the stars and immediatly bought the disk! Emil's voice ranges from soft to powerful in a single moment. The musicians bring together elements of Morocco, Isreal and Spain. There are cuts that feature Flamnco guitar and the cantors incredible voice. These are my favorite. A great release - all around.

This jazz/blues group is outstanding, particularly more so with Chris Norris, their female vocalist who sings with moving emotion. This cd may be hard to find. Too bad. It's great. Tight playing and good arrangments. You'll never get tired of listening to it.

I guess I'd call this "traditional jazz", I'm not sure. What I am sure about is that it's beautifully played and well-recorded. The vocalist, Chris Norris, has a voice that brings tears (of joy) to my eyes. Wow!

Contains amongst others, a cover of Billie Holiday's "What a little moonlight can do" which is better than the original !
What a pity I can't attend to that obscure LA band.

This is another recording of the Jajouka tribe from northern Morocco. For some reason people think they are Berbers, while in fact they are not. Their music can be found all over the Kingdom, whether it's the Aissawa of the Tafilelt or the Berbers of the High-Atlas. The music itself is hypnotic and transe-inducing. The main instruments used are drums (tbel and bendir) and oboe (ghaita). There is also violin (kamanja) and Berber lute (louthar), but they are only present during short interludes between the main songs. I personally prefer the first recording from Jajouka, which is the classic "Brian Jones presents the Pipes of Pan at Jajouka". when the first one sounded more compact and uniform, this one sounds more artificial and non-uniform: merely a collection of typical Berber sounds. Berber tribes usually use either louthar or kamanja during a jam session, not both at the same time. Also there are few tribes that play the ghaita as their main instrument.

I love this CD. It is very primal and earthy. Extremely pleasing for the true lover of the pure sound of the middle east and north africa. Highly recommended!

Sacred Music of Moroccan Jews from the Paul Bowles collection

An impressive recording which will be of interest to anyone who has a taste for or curiosity in the music of the Jews, and also of Arabs and/or North Africa. The all vocal pieces represent religious music including a Sabbath service as well as individual songs from more than one North African location. Words in Hebrew are sung to melodies whose characteristics can be traced to Arabic and North African traditions. Fluid, highly affective melodies are sung by the leading voices of cantors and answered by a chorus of those attending the service; shorter.

Highly spiritual and also extremely spirited, even forceful though always in a serious tone, this already then "antique" style of material was recorded by composer/writer Paul Bowles in the late 1950s just prior to a final exodus of Jews from Morocco in the following decade, and it makes come alive the history of crosstalk and acculturation which Jewish culture underwent in the varying shifts of the Andalusian in the early and Middle Ages when first Islam conquered Spain and then when Muslim forces were forced to withdraw in the face of Christian recapturing. The Jews absorbed much from their Moorish governors in the centuries of Arabic influence and then more in the Diaspora into North Africa following Queen Isabella's final expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.

Copious notes are not overly technical, but do reference multiple sources from Arabic and Andalusian forms drawn upon the in the creation of the original Jewish material, as well as recounting the context and immediate history of Bowles' project, including references to the two still-living cantors who were involved in and expert regarding the music recorded.

This CD presents the authentic synagogue music of Moroccan Jews as sung and performed by some of its finest exponents. Very few Jewish music recordings are as free of commercialism and at the same time as of such high musical quality as this. If you like it, I also strongly recomend the recordings (unfortunately most of them are on casette, not CD) of Rabbi Chaim Louk -- especially his three "Musika Andalusit" sessions. The latter represent a unique style of Jewish mystical music that goes back to the time of Maimonides or earlier in Spain. (Islamic Moroccans use basically the same style in their sacred music, too. This probably reflects the social harmony that existed between Jews and non-Jews through much of Morocco's history.)

If you like Gnawa music, I highly recommend this CD. It's a shame that it's out of print, but finding & purchasing a good used copy is well worth the trouble. I'm surprised that one reviwer said the music was tainted with "western"-ization; that's often one of my own complaints, but in this case I really don't see it as appropriate. Granted, I've never been to Morocco & heard the music 1st hand, but based on the other Gnawa albums I've heard, this seems quite authentic, not to mention superbly done. The songs are wonderfully performed, and the sound quality is excellent, way above par: the instruments and vocals sound clear and distinct, but not phoney or stiff -- there's no artificial reverb or compressed-sounding stuff going on. It just sounds like master Gnawa musicians performing traditional Gnawa music. This is certainly a gem in my CD collection, I'm really glad to have it.

... Perhaps he is right. REAL Gnawa is played by peasants in huts in Morrocco with goats in the background. So if you can't go to Morrocco, I guess you're going to have to settle for an actual RECORDING of some Gnawa music.

If you are some kind of Touareg/"Berber" snob then this might disappoint you, unless you enjoy something called "dancing" or perhaps even "immersive musical experiences."

With tribal topics (such as ritualized circumcision) and masterful polyrhythms, you can feel the embers leaping around you as this album progresses. ...I've been crawling the net for months looking for this album. Up till now it was out of stock ... GET IT WHILE IT LASTS.

Don't listen to what the other reviewer said, this CD is amazing, it received 4 stars in Rolling Stone when it came out in '91. I've purchased multiple copies of this disc, it is the most likely CD I have along with Abbey Road and Tango Zero Hour to get stolen at parties. The recording is very clean by Hollywood audiofile Biily Yodelman . Just buy it, you'll love it.

If you are looking for flamenco... hop on!

Flamenco is from the heart. Alabina is made to sell. It does include a lot exotic influences and sounds rather nice.

I have purchased all of their cd,s and flew 2000 miles just to see them in concert.The combination of Middle Eastern and Spanish styles of music have been tried before but none as soothing and yet stimulating as Alabina.I Look forward for their future Projects.

AlAbina II is truly one of the best albums that have been produced in recent years. This fantastic combination of Gypsy music and arabic rythem will capture your soul. I highly recommend it.

This is a great mix of Middle Eastern, Spanish and Gypsy music with lyrics in Spanish, Arabic, French and English. Very danceable!

Recently, I went on a desert tour of the Tatooine region made famous by Star Wars I and IV. (The Life of Brian, too). When I got to Tunisia, I couldn't find any English-speaking safari tours, so I hopped a French tour with a bunch of people from Paris and Geneva. All they listened to in the jeep was Alabina, and as soon as I got back home I bought a copy of "Sahara." The backing group, Los Ninos de Sara, is very good especially if you like the Gypsy Kings, but lead singer Ishtar's voice is a beautiful and exotic addition.

The group's variability in song styles, from slow French ballads to upbeat salsa, makes this CD very listenable without becoming boring. Alabina follows the tradition of other French groups like Mano Negra, who also sing songs with influences ranging from South American to Arabic. My favorite song on the album tends to shift with time: just as I get tired of one song I become fond of another. I started out liking Lolole, the cover of the Disco-age Santa Esmeralda hit "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," but have since migrated to Sevillano which has a nice background tune although the main melody is a little weak, and Loli, Lolita Lola which is quite catchy. I really like how Alabina re-does its own songs in various song styles and I've ripped the songs from this and my other Alabina CDs so I can listen to the MP3s in an order that contrasts the different versions. My current favorite sequence is Ya Mama Tu M'As Tant Donne, a slow French ballad sung solo by Ishtar, followed by Ya Mama Ya Mama, the same song transformed into a Gypsy Kings-like tropical beat. The sequence is completed by the Salsa version of Ya Mama Ya Mama, found on L'Essential Alabina.

Others have commented that "Sahara" contains a lot of material found on other albums, but since it was my first purchase I have this problem in reverse. I do wish that the group would include their lyrics on the CD liner notes, since I have no idea what I'm saying while bellowing along to the music in my car.

I had the good fortune while I was in Italy over the summer to buy a compilation album with LOLI LOLITA LOLA on it....becoming very intrigued by this song, I finally purchased Alabina's "Sahara" album in Spain. I really love the exotic, moving beats of this group, and the lead vocalist has a beautiful voice! Tracks 1 - 5 are excellent.... the rest is fairly mediocre. Nonetheless, I really enjoy this album, and recommend it for anyone who is looking for something a little different.

Harira is a soup that is eat in the Ramadan time. It is not a stew. And... it is delicious.

My low rating is not a criticism of the music of Aisha Kandisha's Jarring Effects (AKJE), but of this album's production. Shabeesation is an attempt to introduce AKJE's Moroccan styles to the Western market, through a collaboration with Bill Laswell and a host of American and Eurpoean cutting-edge musicians. Granted, AKJE has always had a cosmopolitan aspect, as they often spend time in the European underground to avoid the religious authorities back home, while group leader Pat Jabbar is a multinational from Switzerland. Also, AKJE has always experimented with industrial and hip-hop sounds. The problem with this album though, is an over-reliance on Western methods in order to attract listeners. Laswell's mindfunk basslines, while as punishing as always, tend to overwhelm the authentic Middle Eastern aspects of the music, as do a succession of predictable electronic beats. The sampled rap vocal (about killing racists) in "Nbrik" is completely out of place, as are the annoying house music synthesizer doodles in "Lahbab." The only songs on this album that manage to avoid these problems are the final two tracks, which are mostly unembellished and give you a more intimate connection with the true essence of AKJE. This includes "Zin" and the highly intriguing "El Harb" which surprisingly sounds influenced by outlaw country blues. So this album is rewarding for Americans who are looking for intriguing new sounds. But for the authentic Moroccan sounds of AKJE, you would be better served tracking down some of their other albums, which are harder to find but much more rewarding.

This CD is riveting! Even if you are not a fan of international music, this CD will give you a new appreciation for Morrocan dance music. From track one to the end, it will have you enrapt. You can't help but groove to the perfect blend of traditional Morrocan sound and techno-dance style backgrounds. It's a mischievous mix of old and new with a touch of youthful rebellion to it. Absolutely blue ribbon!

If you are a bit familiar with any Tangerian music (or Morrocan, for that matter), then you will know "the sound" of this album. What makes Jajouka special is the fierce drive they bring to this genre. I enjoy this album, but I do not plan to buy other Jajouka music, as it would get too repetitive to have more. Having one is good, however.

This music requires strength. The musicians must have the stamina to maintain extended notes and rhythms that can last for hours in their native performances. Using simple drums, pipes, and strings, the Master Musicians of Jajouka are legendary for their trance-induction ceremonies of wild abandon. These tracks are but tiny samples of their wares; still, they are rich, complex, and other-worldly.

I first heard this music in my friend's basement surrounded by a thick cloud of pot smoke. My God! Since then I've had the privilege to see them live at the Montreal Jazz Festival and now I'm hooked.

The people of Jajouka perform this incredible music in reverance to the Horned God Pan. The tracks range from mellow to manic, but always with a dark tinge. They use a type of horn that they play with sustained notes, nice and eerie sounding. And of course, rhythms to danse yourself into a frenzy.

This is some of the finest ritualistic music I've ever heard. Check out their other CDs as well.

with the exception of a few Morrocan tracks untainted by BAD EURO-TRASH DISCO, this compilation is pretty awful.

good rai used to sound dark and forboding, until it became very cheesy in the 80s (when producers started making it for the French).

there is good modern Rai, just not available in the US or most of Europe (maybe you can find it in some countries, I'm not sure).

if anyone has access or knows of an online shop, please leave a note here.

A decent sampler of what rai music is and sounds like. Khaled, the first artist on the disc, is known in Algeria as the King of Rai. He currently resides in France and is known around the globe. Some of the other artists are lesser known, but just as good. The music is danceable and also something you can relax to. Pick this one up, and if you like the artists contained, search for them. Personally, I recommend Khaled. His song on this disc isn't close to his best, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

I love this music and I love this CD. I recently started belly-dancing lessons and wanted something to practice to. The music is infectious - I have to dance. I find the singers very passionate and sing from the heart, although I have no idea what they are saying.