Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Souad Massi is that rarest of Algerian performers -- she doesn't sing rai music. But more than that, she's an accomplished singer/songwriter, a kind of North African Tracy Chapman, although she works in the Maghrebi genre of sha'bi as much as she does in folk music or soft rock. Electric guitars and touches of flamenco, oud, and the Arabic bass gimbri all help bring a real distinctiveness to her sound, which certainly has more in common with many American '60s protest singers than her contemporaries in Africa (indeed, to some she's Joan Baez reborn). Coke's production (he has worked with Ben Harper) is very sympathetic, bringing a live feel to the record ("Matebkiche" is, in fact, completely live). "Bladi" is a perfectly catchy song, its oud line deftly leading into Massi's smoky voice, and "Nekreh El Kelb" has a vital urgency. But it does fall apart somewhat in the later tracks, which come across as rather MOR and make her sound a little like Natalie Merchant -- which doesn't place her in the best context. Not a perfect debut, then, but there's plenty of promise for the future, as long as she really remembers her roots and doesn't wander the empty halls of rock.
© Chris Nickson /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From €13,50/month
Souad Massi, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer - Ben Yahya Yazid, Author
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, MainArtist - Bernard Lavilliers, Composer, Author - Ismaël Lo, FeaturedArtist
℗ 2001 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Souad Massi, Composer, Author, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer
℗ 2000 Virgin Music France
Fabrice Aboulker, Composer - Souad Massi, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Marc Lavoine, Author, Producer, MainArtist - François Delabrière, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jean-François Berger, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2001 Barclay
Souad Massi, Composer, Interprète Instrumental, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Coke, Producer - Ben Yahya Yazid, Author
℗ 2001 Virgin Music France
Album review
Souad Massi is that rarest of Algerian performers -- she doesn't sing rai music. But more than that, she's an accomplished singer/songwriter, a kind of North African Tracy Chapman, although she works in the Maghrebi genre of sha'bi as much as she does in folk music or soft rock. Electric guitars and touches of flamenco, oud, and the Arabic bass gimbri all help bring a real distinctiveness to her sound, which certainly has more in common with many American '60s protest singers than her contemporaries in Africa (indeed, to some she's Joan Baez reborn). Coke's production (he has worked with Ben Harper) is very sympathetic, bringing a live feel to the record ("Matebkiche" is, in fact, completely live). "Bladi" is a perfectly catchy song, its oud line deftly leading into Massi's smoky voice, and "Nekreh El Kelb" has a vital urgency. But it does fall apart somewhat in the later tracks, which come across as rather MOR and make her sound a little like Natalie Merchant -- which doesn't place her in the best context. Not a perfect debut, then, but there's plenty of promise for the future, as long as she really remembers her roots and doesn't wander the empty halls of rock.
© Chris Nickson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 01:09:50
- Main artists: Souad Massi
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Universal Music Division Virgin Music
- Genre: World
© 2002 Backingtrack Productions ℗ 2002 Backingtrack Productions
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.