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.
Back before he hit the big-time world music circuit, Cheb "Young" Khaled was the star of the new pop-rai genre in his native Algeria. This collection puts together some of the big tracks he recorded then, and with his powerful voice kicking things along, it's easy to see how he became massive. There's a passion to his singing that he's lost over the years, a life-and-death urgency that's irresistible, even if you don't understand a word. The music, too, is as urgent as the vocals, a mix of traditional rai and a Western instrumental ethic. When the two come together perfectly, as on "Aia Mine," it's something glorious, with a fat bass, rattling local percussion, a drum machine, and wandering fiddle upping the excitement level. Of course, since this material comes from the '80s, there are inevitably dated touches, like the booming syndrums that crop up here and there, and some very cheesy synthesizer tones, but even they can't detract from the hard- hitting songs, and most especially from the performances of Khaled himself. His mawal or vocal introduction, to "Ya El Hamam," wavering around the scale is heart-stoppingly glorious. In many ways, this is one of most perfect unions of Western and Arabic music ever, simply because it's so unselfconscious. There's an undeniable funk to the bassline in "El Houri," and when the tune breaks down to bass and drums, it's as if "James Brown" had been transported to North Africa. So, in spite of its very shoddy packaging, this is a remarkable, even vital, collection, and a superb introduction to the rough magic of Khaled's voice.
© 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 kr133.33/month
Khaled, Artist, MainArtist
2001 Interra Music Publishing 2001 CineVu/NuMedia
Khaled, Artist, MainArtist
2001 Interra Music Publishing 2001 CineVu/NuMedia
Khaled, Artist, MainArtist
2001 Interra Music Publishing 2001 CineVu/NuMedia
Khaled, Artist, MainArtist
2001 Interra Music Publishing 2001 CineVu/NuMedia
Khaled, Artist, MainArtist
2001 Interra Music Publishing 2001 CineVu/NuMedia
Khaled, Artist, MainArtist
2001 Interra Music Publishing 2001 CineVu/NuMedia
Khaled, Artist, MainArtist
2001 Interra Music Publishing 2001 CineVu/NuMedia
Album review
Back before he hit the big-time world music circuit, Cheb "Young" Khaled was the star of the new pop-rai genre in his native Algeria. This collection puts together some of the big tracks he recorded then, and with his powerful voice kicking things along, it's easy to see how he became massive. There's a passion to his singing that he's lost over the years, a life-and-death urgency that's irresistible, even if you don't understand a word. The music, too, is as urgent as the vocals, a mix of traditional rai and a Western instrumental ethic. When the two come together perfectly, as on "Aia Mine," it's something glorious, with a fat bass, rattling local percussion, a drum machine, and wandering fiddle upping the excitement level. Of course, since this material comes from the '80s, there are inevitably dated touches, like the booming syndrums that crop up here and there, and some very cheesy synthesizer tones, but even they can't detract from the hard- hitting songs, and most especially from the performances of Khaled himself. His mawal or vocal introduction, to "Ya El Hamam," wavering around the scale is heart-stoppingly glorious. In many ways, this is one of most perfect unions of Western and Arabic music ever, simply because it's so unselfconscious. There's an undeniable funk to the bassline in "El Houri," and when the tune breaks down to bass and drums, it's as if "James Brown" had been transported to North Africa. So, in spite of its very shoddy packaging, this is a remarkable, even vital, collection, and a superb introduction to the rough magic of Khaled's voice.
© Chris Nickson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 7 track(s)
- Total length: 00:37:39
2001 Interra Music Publishing 2001 CineVu/NuMedia
Improve album informationWhy 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.