RhoDeo 1347 Roots

Hello, we still find ourselves in an environment that gave rise to the worlds monotheistic religions be that on the Arabian peninsula, here we stay in the Saharan/Sahel band stretching from the West-Atlantic coast to the highlands of Ethiopia in the east of the continent, a vast area where fresh water usually tends to come at a premium , where the sun is burning down during daytime and nighttime can be cold, where the moon is the sole light source apart from the warming campfires. Is it any surprise then that singing and making music together lifted the spirits of those gathering in these desolate landscapes. And the moon became their God.

Today we find ourselves in the the North African nation of Morocco, it possesses a diverse music scene, where traditional and popular styles collide and collude. Sacred and secular concerns are omnipresent. Gutty strings and nasal, resonant singers wend their way through sweet-sour scales, hypnotic rhythms, and knife-sharp harmonies.  .....N'joy

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The North African nation of Morocco possesses a diverse music scene, where traditional and popular styles collide and collude. Sacred and secular concerns are omnipresent. Gutty strings and nasal, resonant singers wend their way through sweet-sour scales, hypnotic rhythms, and knife-sharp harmonies. Morocco is still a major power house in the Arabic-speaking world. In fact, pop singer Samira Said is Moroccan. But this CD goes further into Morocco's musical roots, revealing everything from the trance music of the Gnawa brotherhood to cutting edge Arabic electronica to the rootsy urban chaabi. Really, as far as samplers go, this is a pretty good mix of Moroccan music.

The selections definitely lean more towards the traditional (or at least, neo-traditional) and less toward the pop, and the compilers seem to have knowledge of REAL Moroccan music. A definite plus there. The tracks include big names like Nass Marrakech, Nass el Ghiwane, Jil Jilala and Bnet Marrakech. Contemporary Gnawa trance music is very well represented by the great Hassan Hakmoun, as well as remix artist U-Cef. Jewish folk singer Emil Zrihan showcases the country's lesser known minority. And theres a wonderful track by Fatna bent el Houcine as well. All in all, this is a very authentic taste of Maghrebi music, and one thats readily available to boot! So pull up your bornous and grab a cup of mint tea and bowl of couscous - this is the next best thing to actually visiting Rabat, Casablanca or Fes

VA - The Rough Guide To The Music Of Morocco (flac  361mb)

01 Fnaïre Feat. Salah Edin - Sah Raoui 4:17
02 Compagnies Musicales Du Tafilalet - Compagnie El Hamri/Ya Rijal L'bled 8:26
03 Amira Saqati - El Aloua 5:19
04 Les Imazighen - Iberdane 6:48
05 U-Cef - Boolandrix 5:17
06 Lemchaheb - Moulana (Notre Chant) 5:21
07 Maalem Said Damir & Gnawa Allstars - Bania Bambara 7:20
08 H-Kayne - Jil Jdid 4:34
09 Samy Elmaghribi - Mal Hbibi Malou 6:06
10 Mazagan - Ya Labess 3:55
11 Master Musicians Of Joujouka - Mali Mal Hal M'Halmaz 5:47

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Established in 1998, Mazagan became an important figure in the international music scene with its many shows in Morocco, Africa , in Europe and Canada . The History of Mazagan was in 1997 when Issam Kamal found his teenage friends Hammouda, Abdelhak Younes and to share musical moments over coffee under the stars. Do not have a rehearsal, the quartet, inseparable invested throughout the summer of 1997 one of the streets of the city and made those early songs under the eyes of the whole neighborhood. In January 1998, Issam Kamal proposes to create a group in good and due form. Among the suggested names ( Mazagan , Beep Sonor Nour ...) " Mazagan "was chosen because it represents faithfully belonging and cultural orientation of the group. Some months later, Issam Kamal 15 years old, goes to meet the delegate of the Ministry of Culture in El Jadida to propose to support the group, and Mazagan rises for the first time on stage on 3  July  1998 in the park Mohammed V before an audience of 10,000 people.

The group sang occasions only ( rai and Gnawa ) and won the sympathy of the audience. After this small success, the group is highly motivated and decides to participate in the " Boulevard of Young Musicians ", the unique platform of youth groups in Morocco which takes place annually in Casablanca in the hall of the FOL (federation works secular ). With no drummer or bassist, Mazagan failed to presets 1999, nor those of the following years. In 2004, Mazagan borrows the projection room of the Franco-Moroccan of El Jadida to record their first demo includes three compositions (Allah Allah, Mina, La casa of España ) and 1 recovery (laâbou Bik) of ' Orchestre National de Barbès . The demo plays his game and Mazagan is finally agreed to play Boulevard of Young Musicians . Meanwhile, Issam Kamal Ramzi and Younes depart April 3, 2004 in France on tour with the "Afouss" group. After months of touring, and following a disagreement with the group's leader, Younes Ramzi went to live in Italy and Issam Kamal decides to leave "Afouss" and returned to Morocco with one goal in mind, the Boulevard of Young Musicians .

Joined by "Noureddine Tarda" on bass and "Adnan Lebbar" on drums, and deprived of his singer "Younes Ramzi" Mazagan , led by its new singer Issam Kamal did not convince the jury headed by virtuoso drummer Algerian Karim Ziad, but at least he had the chance to speak before an audience of over 20,000 people. The group is joined backstage by the Boulevard "Khalid El hariry", originally from politician El Jadida who claims to have enjoyed the show and offers his help. Using his well-placed contacts, Khalid el Hariry comes to program two concerts Mazagan to 2 e edition of the El Jadida Summer music festival organized by the Ministry of Culture, and to the surprise of everyone, the group offers two energetic concerts and won the crowds of his city. In June 2004, Issam Kamal moved to Casablanca to work in a call center and tries to find new musicians, and he meets "Nabil Andalous" and "Ali Tahiri aît" which respectively join the group as drummer and bassist. Operating in a rock universe, both bring a new rhythmic energy: the formula is ideal Mazagan self-produced its first model in 2005 which then gives birth to their first album homemade "tradition flowing."

Lack of resources, their first album was self-produced in 2005 by Issam Kamal in his apartment in Casablanca , which explains the quality of its very medium which reduced the reaction of the press texts of encouragement. However with this album, Mazagan continues to rotate in the festivals, surprised by the strength of live, réinvitaient still group and again. Mazagan building very quickly a reputation for live band and toured several festivals (nights Mediterranean Tanjazz , Alegria ...) and exports for the first time in Senegal to participate in the festival " Dakar hip-hop Awards "in October 2006. In February 2007, the quintet was invited to Dakhla Festival (in the extreme south of Morocco), where he met his future violinist "Bouhssine Foulane" accompanying the "Amarg Fusion" group.

Through the Doukkala Air Lines album, Mazagan stands out as the only artist to have given an international dimension to the Moroccan popular music. A new style is born: "Chaabi-Groove" "A Labess" flagship title of this album, became a national tube that runs every hour in Moroccan radio and especially on the air very quickly 2M radio . Pleased with the success of "A Labess", the latter is interested in other titles from the same album as "Dada Hyani", "Mohammed" ... The album was quickly disseminated by "Radio Aswat  "," Chada FM , "" Casa FM "," Radio Hit "," Rabat Chaine inter "

In late 2010, Mazagan advantage of moments of respite to produce a new single "Ayli Ayli", this time in duet with the Danish group " Outlandish ". Registration is between Casablanca and Copenhagen and the title was born on 10/10/2010. It is a fusion Electro Rock Chaabi , sound avant-garde in the history of popular music Moroccan. Like its predecessors, "Ayli Ayli" runs regularly on radio waves Moroccan but also French, particularly on " Beur FM ".

Released in July 2011, is somewhere Tajine Electrik Album maturity Mazagan . Many traditional and modern influences are merged successfully. Very quickly, titles like Ayli Ayli, Vignette, Atay, or become Abdelillah tubes that run in a loop on the Moroccan waves, but also elsewhere in Europe Beur FM , RTVE . The group began as of July 2011 his new tour (Tajine Electrik Tour) which leads in Italy and Canada and in Morocco. Revenue from the Moroccan tour (September-December) were devoted to a program of fight against HIV in collaboration with the ALCS (Association of fight against AIDS).

Their latest single, released in early December 2012, a call for peace, tolerance and dialogue between different religions and ideologies. Written by Issam Kamal, this title marks a new intellectual point of departure for Mazagan while preserving its musical line that combines tradition and modernity.

Groupe Mazagan - Tajine Electrik   (flac  252mb)

01 Abdelillah 3:55
02 Ayli Ayli (Feat. Outlandish) 4:24
03 La Vignette 4:19
04 Atay 3:48
05 Yah Sidi Chafi (with Hamid El Kasri) 4:08
06 Allah Allah 3:07
07 Sogui Belati 4:12
08 Salamo Salam 3:36
09 Asmae Allah 2:15
10 Instrumental 3:06
11 Ayli Ayli (Solo) 4:14

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There is a great variety in rai, which this album shows, but there are unifying features in most of the music. A very Arabic style of singing, with mostly Arabic sounding melodies, but with modern instruments (and from time to time some traditional ones mixed in) and a decidedly distinct rhythm, which has been said to be simialer to reggae or something. But more important than the influences and simialerities is the highly original nature of the music itself. It's clearly a whole genre of its own.

This compilation showcases the incredible variety of the modern Algerian sound, stretching back to the earliest pioneers of Rai music like Cheikha Remitti and going up to modern day legends like Khaled, Cheb Mami and the late Cheb Hasni (who was a hit across North Africa, despite not being as well known in the west as Khaled or Cheb Mami). All the big names are featured here. Theres the driving rhythms of Fadela and Sahraoui on "La Verite". The cross dressing pop star Abdou contributes a track, "Ana Aachki Bahloul". And even "Shab el Baroud," a song by Cheba Zahouania praising the Algerian mujahideen freedom fighters. The fact that lyrics are in a language other than one’s own will never stop people from growing to love music that originates from other cultures, still an essential guide for understanding Rai music, the very heart and soul of Algeria.

VA - The Rough Guide to Rai (flac 413mb)

01 Abdou - Ana Aachki Bahloul 5:34
02 Cheb Mami - Lazrag Saâni 4:33
03 Malik - N'Touma 4:12
04 Cheb Zahouani - Moul El Bar 6:48
05 Cheb Anouar - Moulay Ibrahim 5:59
06 Cheikha Remitti - Guendouzi Mama 5:51
07 Bellemou - Nediha Gaouria 5:36
08 Cheba Nouria - Consulat 5:33
09 Cheba Zahouania - Shab El Baroud 6:04
10 Cheb Hasni - Menghirek Entia Fi Dounia 6:00
11 Cheb Khaled - Ya Loualid 5:33
12 Fadela* & Sahraoui - La Verité 4:19

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