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.
To say Mraya is a vision of Algerian rai refracted through a sympathetic British prism sounds like a harsh criticism, but it's true. Abdel Ali Slimani has sung with bassist Jah Wobble, and he returns the favor here, bring not only his own talents, but Justin Adams on guitars and oud, and drummer/programmer John Reynolds, along with singers Natacha Atlas and Sinead O'Connor -- essentially the Invaders of the Heart posse. And what they do is excellent, to be fair. You'd be hard-pressed to know these players weren't from the Maghreb, especially Adams and Reynolds, who provide the bulk of the instrumental support. Slimani's songs are little gems, maybe not with the fire of a Khaled or a Cheikha Remitti, but worthy of repeated listenings. He pulls not only from the pop rai that swept Algeria in the '80s, but also from Egyptian sha'bi music, with its street rawness, and his singing voice has a raspy edge. The production, however, couldn't be anything but Western, with its sonic depth and smoothness -- missing the rough edges of an Oran studio. Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing, since that's how the album was conceived, and it works within that frame work, with the title track in particular a standout, with its contributions from O'Connor, cellist Caroline Dale, and darbuka player Nacer Khenniche, the music simmering before exploding in wonderful, fiery fury. And so, ultimately, it's successful on its own terms -- the problem is defining exactly what those terms are.
© 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
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani, Artist, MainArtist - Warner Chappell, MusicPublisher
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Natacha Atlas, Artist - Abdel Ali Slimani, Artist - Warner Chappell, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani feat. Natacha Atlas, MainArtist
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani, Artist, MainArtist - Warner Chappell, MusicPublisher
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani, Artist - Warner Chappell, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani feat. Sinéad O’Connor, MainArtist - Sinéad O’Connor, Artist
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani, Artist, MainArtist - Warner Chappell, MusicPublisher
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani, Artist, MainArtist - Warner Chappell, MusicPublisher
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani, Artist, MainArtist - Warner Chappell, MusicPublisher
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani, Artist, MainArtist - Warner Chappell, MusicPublisher
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Abdel Ali Slimani, Artist, MainArtist - Warner Chappell, MusicPublisher
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
Album review
To say Mraya is a vision of Algerian rai refracted through a sympathetic British prism sounds like a harsh criticism, but it's true. Abdel Ali Slimani has sung with bassist Jah Wobble, and he returns the favor here, bring not only his own talents, but Justin Adams on guitars and oud, and drummer/programmer John Reynolds, along with singers Natacha Atlas and Sinead O'Connor -- essentially the Invaders of the Heart posse. And what they do is excellent, to be fair. You'd be hard-pressed to know these players weren't from the Maghreb, especially Adams and Reynolds, who provide the bulk of the instrumental support. Slimani's songs are little gems, maybe not with the fire of a Khaled or a Cheikha Remitti, but worthy of repeated listenings. He pulls not only from the pop rai that swept Algeria in the '80s, but also from Egyptian sha'bi music, with its street rawness, and his singing voice has a raspy edge. The production, however, couldn't be anything but Western, with its sonic depth and smoothness -- missing the rough edges of an Oran studio. Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing, since that's how the album was conceived, and it works within that frame work, with the title track in particular a standout, with its contributions from O'Connor, cellist Caroline Dale, and darbuka player Nacer Khenniche, the music simmering before exploding in wonderful, fiery fury. And so, ultimately, it's successful on its own terms -- the problem is defining exactly what those terms are.
© Chris Nickson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 9 track(s)
- Total length: 00:46:53
- Main artists: Abdel Ali Slimani
- Label: Real World Records
- Genre: World
1995 Real World Records Ltd 1995 Real World Records Ltd
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.