Reviews (page 2 of 7)
This is exactly the kind of album I love to see on this list! I discovered a new genre; raï. I would have never ended up listening to Algerian music on my own, but I really digged it especially the first two songs. I really want to explore this genre more and find ones less accessible to a Western audience. I wish I could give it 5 stars for the discovery, but it is a bit over long and some of the tracks aren't very good. I am more intrigued by the genre itself than this album's presentation of it. Favorite Track - El Harba Wine Least Favorite Track - C'Est La Nuit ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So relieved to not have another Sonic Youth or Dylan album. This was a welcome addition
Having no idea about the language, I really only have the choice to look at this one through a similar lens to BVSC, just judging purely from the vibes the music give. Overall, I had a quite fun time listening to this. The tracks are generally quite bouncy and fun, offering something worthwhile, even to a person who does not speak a word of Arabic. There's some vibes here, musical motifs perhaps, that draw parallels from the 70s and 80s in the West. Things like the synths, and a cover of an extremely well known song. Adapting a foreign movement like that, and putting a local cultural spin on it acts as a bridge, making the foreign culture more accessible to a Western audience (read: me). Would I listen again: Maybe. Honestly, it's pretty unlikely. But possible all the same.
I don’t speak Arabic. That’s an important baseline to admit here – I have no clue what the lyrics are singing about, so I’m focused entirely on the music and the sound of Khaled’s voice. That said, I do like what I’m hearing here. I’ve never been one to shy away from the “world music” category, as there’s a lot of interesting sonic landscapes to explore. And there’s a lot to appreciate in this particular case; many of the sounds that are present here, musical motifs and instruments, just aren’t anything you’d expect in music that originated in the West. Or at least, that’s what the first two tracks seemed like. Then “C’est La Nuit” came on and suddenly I’m faced with a soft-pop chanson that only gives the smallest hints of the album’s Algerian origins. Admittedly, French influence would be expected, given the history of that country, but I really came here for something new and outside of my typical listening. ...and then it’s a bilingual John Lennon cover. OK then. Kind of risky, singing a song that explicitly expresses the idea of no religion when you live in a country with religiously-conservative laws… And in this case, the middle-eastern styling of the violins toward the end actually make me think more of something by George Harrison than Lennon. After those two tracks, we’re back into the more directly Algerian music again, and a lot of this just gets my head bobbing, and oh wow that’s record scratching in “E’dir E’sseba”. The biggest problem I have with this album, honestly, is the length. I find myself feeling as if, well… it just keeps going. And going. I like the music, I really do, but I find myself wondering if the reason this *specific* album is on the list is partially to give Algeria a bit more time in listeners’ ears against the sheer volume of US/UK albums. OK, wait, “Mele H’bibti” is an interesting surprise toward the end. Bit of light D’n’B action going on there, alongside some symphonic influences, that’s interesting. Gonna give this a 6.9/10, and rounding up to 4 stars. Would have been 4 stars either way but it loses a bit on the numeric rating because it just got a bit long-winded, and the last track was the chanson again in a different language but still “C’est la nuit” a whoooooole bunch of times.
decent
J’aime ça alhamdulillah
THIS RULES!!!! EXCEPT THE IMAGINE COVER!!! BUT OTHERWISE THIS RULES!!!
There should be more exposure to MENA music. I was surprised how many different genres and artists Khaled had on this album!
For the only Algerian album on this, at least it's got some groove to it. Solid 4 Stars.
For someone that doesn't understand arabic and doesn't consider it beatiful, it was great, specially C'Est La Nuit, loved that song.
catchy. great. different.
This one immediately hooked me in track one then lost me just as quick with track two. Hit a bit of a lull there for a moment, especially with the Imagine cover. It eventually found its way back to the energy I liked in the first track and ultimately won be back over. By the end I had forgotten all about John Lennon (or was that Paul?)
This was a fun find. Engaging and fun to listen to.
So culturally diverse! Did not expect an imagine cover
This is good (except for the bland Imagine Cover”. Maybe I liked it more as I’m playing on a hot day and it reminds me of foreign bar music.
The second half is great
Ahhh c'est ça du raï!! Me voilà maintenant un cruciverbiste plus éclairé. J'aime vraiment la vibe, et les mélismes c'est quelque chose que j'aime beaucoup de la musique orientale (oui oui c'est une technique commune à la musique indienne et arabe, c'est pas si fou se demander est-ce que c'est plus Aladin ou Bollywood, comme Alice se demandait candidement ce matin). Je me demande ce qu'il dit à part sur ses tounes anglo et franco... est-ce qu'on est plus dans les banalités boy meets girl? Ou bien on parle d'Allah et du grand amour fraternel? Si je lisais un peu plus sur Khaled, j'imagine que je pourrais répondre à ma propre question.
Interesting modern sound with Arab prominent influences - good beats, I enjoyed
This was very refreshing and interesting to listen to. The instruments and the musicality were really interesting, and the album was a lot of fun, too. It's great to be able to hear music from all over the world that I wouldn't have thought to check out myself, and that's the beauty of this project.
I didn't know what to expect from this 'Raï' genre from Algeria. It turns out it was very 'Westernised' in many places, but I'm pleased it wasnt anything as bad as BTS. In fact I thoroughly enjoyed it. I need more of this crap in my life and ditch other sorts of crap.
Interesting album. Lots of feeling and a really bad cover.
This is probably my first listen to contemporary Indian music. Heard heard plenty of Bollywood hits over the years, which I felt like I was getting at the start of this album, especially with that “Imagine” cover, which was…something. But then he started playing around with different musical styles on the back half of the album starting from “El Bab” and ending with the gorgeous ending song, “Leili” and then I was hooked.
Honestly, not bad!! This was a very interesting blend of western styles of r&b, funk and jazz with Algerian Raï music. Lots of danceable grooves and Khaled's voice is pretty great. The cover of "Imagine" was pretty hoky though ngl. Still, I can see myself coming back to this. :)
just straight boppin (if we ignore imagine)
The best thing about music is that you don’t need to understand the words to feel the music. This is a good album! I love the Arabic music scale. Please, bless me with more stuff like this 🧎🏾♂️
Pretty fun album. Really neat to hear this kind of music in different styles and really trying to make it blend with other styles. Khaled is a Music Bender.
je verstaat er geen zak van, behalve het Frans... maar toch is dit opzwepend en vrolijk makend
lwk fire
This is the type of album I signed up for when I started this list. Something I'd never heard of that is entertaining and eclectic. Yes, it's too long, and yes, the imagine cover should have never happened, but the rhythms, genre-bending, melodies, and vocal performance all make it worth it. 3.5/5.0: Very Good
A nice listen. Some pretty solid grooves on this -- even if I couldn't understand a word, other than Imagine. Lots of interesting tracks popped up afterwards, as well.
A pleasant surprise
Admission up front: it's a long one (just shy of an hour and twenty). I think it's instructive to listen to popular music from around the world and I've never heard Algerian raï before. In influences of Western pop (especially French, as Algeria was colonized; Khaled sings in French) are clear but the distinct Arab soul of this Maghrebi genre is overriding. It's interesting to hear some of its similarities to more distant cousins, like reggae. The 'Imagine' cover is just fascinating. Quite a lovely version! I don't think I'm becoming a lifelong Khaled fan. But one day, I'll visit Algeria and have some context for some of its local culture. I remain very impressed by the highly ornamented vocals in the Arab and Indian worlds -- it reminds me of Irish sean-nós. Not a huge number of standout songs for me on this one. 'E'dir E'sseba' is a jam, though. 'El Bab' is bright and sunny and worthy of a windows-open drive on a sunny day. Reminds me of old Shaggy -- possibly an influence on him (not something I'm an expert in; I just survived that period). Not mind-shattering but a bit horizon-expanding. Lands in that awkward place in The List where I'm happy to have listened but I'm not coming back, probably. That usually equates to a 3.5 and it's about as enjoyable as Band On The Run, which is now my yardstick of that range. Have your 4/5, Khaled.
Normally stupidly long albums take a hit for being so long, but I listened to this over the span of two days so that helped it. It's too long but it sounds really good. Love Khaled's voice, no clue what he's saying which is cool and usually I love that. Don't love that he covered "Imagine", it's a dumb song but that's another conversation.
Another album that I would have never listened to or discovered if it wasn't for this project. I thought the album was fun and I definitely heard some elements of funk mixed in, which I thought was cool. This is something I feel like I could listen to again, whether its Khaled or this genre.
Loving this album! Great mix of exotica and funk! Would make a great party album. 4
Vibes
This album is so good man. The different languages and cultures being combined here make such an interesting project. 4.5/5
This was a fun one! I liked it.
онестлі нот івен бед, почувалась шехерезадою
Trivelig nytt bekjentskap.
I weirdly liked it too
My favourite kind of album in this project: an artist I haven't heard of before and a genre I don't listen to regularly. As my daughter says, this slaps. Loved it.
WE THE BEST MUSIC!! GOD DIDDDD like how its kinda funky. actually really cool production. lowkey mad because I accidentally listened to this on shuffle, mb khaled. i will most likely never return to this album again so sorry, i guess i never hear this the order khaled intended. i like it though
Groovy!!!
at first i didn’t rly love this album even though i do like foreign music, but it’s rly started to grow on me towards the end, my only complaint is it was a bit too long
Franchement, ça change donc rien que pour ça je vais mettre un bon 4/5 ! C’est aussi un des plus connus dans le raï… c’est bien en fond, en ambiance
Une assez bonne surprise, d'habitude c'est pas trop un genre que j'aime bien mais là c'était chouette
8.2
Good album with good music. Interesting music styles.
I liked this a lot more than I was expecting to! It's a lot of fun Songs added to playlist: - El Harba Wine - Trigue Lycee - El Bab
does anyone want to invite me to their algerian wedding? :(
I think of all of the foreign language albums we've had, this is the one I've enjoyed the most. I've probably heard more Arabic music throughout my life than any other music of a different language so I guess this makes sense? It reminds me of being on family holidays when I was younger. I'm going to give Khaled a pass on the imagine cover, which was the worst part of the album and was unnecessary. The rest I enjoyed though generally. 3.5 but a 4 as it's my favourite non English album so far I think
Quite enjoyed, funky sound
Proof that you don’t need to necessarily understand the lyrics to feel the emotion behind them. And the instrumentation had a lot of variety and was quite interesting. It was hard not to enjoy this.
Incredibly long but man, I fucked with this. Incredible grooves, not sure I’ll ever listen again but I had a blast this time round.
The uptempo tracks are tremendously fun. The ballads are a bit cheesy, but overall this is great.
Pretty good stuff.
Almost 200 albums in, I really wish some more non-English albums were included at the cost of a couple fewer British DJs. I thought this one was fantastic from start to finish, I was dancing and head bopping to all the Middle Eastern beats. Khaled's got a great voice as well.
Algerian goodness.
such class, so much fun
My first non-English record from the generator. First song reminds me of Timbaland's production on FutureSex/LoveSounds. Was surprised by the Imagine cover sung in both Arabic and English. All the other songs blend Algerian and Anglophone music to make a modern, groovy Raï sound. It does suffer from being bloated.
This is what the project is for surely (and don't call me Shirley). Maybe everyone in his home country thinks he pumps out the most bland shit imaginable and the music press there are super snooty about anyone who likes it. But this is a banger no?
"World music" is such a bogus name for a genre because it's used as a "catch all" for non-western music when there is such a huge variety of music within the non-western world. That being said, Khaled created an album that reflects the entire world. An Algerian artist, he used rai (or Algerian folk music) but wait, there's more! He sung in multiple languages and included genres from around the world without sounding clunky or abrasive. I clocked French, Spanish, Latin/Hispanic, Hindi, and I'm sure there were more. Honestly, several of these songs sounded like they were straight out of a Bollywood movie; learning from Wikipedia that his music has been featured in Bollywood movies was no surprise. "Raba-Raba" even had the Indian genre of bangra! Even though Kenza included music from around the world, the album flows beautifully. John Lennon's "Imagine" is a classic, but with some verses translated into another language, the song becomes more beautiful. "E'dir E'sseba" is soul and funk, whereas "Leili" is sweet and romantic. How did Khaled do it? Definitely an underrated artist that should be known more in the "western" world.
Absolutely blown away by this one. Unfamiliar as I am with the raï genre, I kept trying to pin down a specific sound to the album, but that proved impossible as Khaled pulls from a very wide variety influences. Thanks to that, even at an 80 minute runtime, the album never felt stale, and in fact I found myself grooving along to each new track that came up. Fantastic experience! Standouts: Aalach Tloumouni • Trigue Lycee • E'Dir E'Sseba • Ya Aachkou • Melha • El Bab • El Aadyene • Gouloulha-Dji • Mele H'Bibti
As with many of these World music releases, I wish I had so much more context for the melding of sounds, the background of the music, and the artists themselves. All I know is that this albums slaps hard. Every song is a banger and I can't wait to revisit this one again.
Seeing the length of this album at the start, it's fair to say I wasn't looking forward to it at all. But what a nice surprise, this guy is a real talent! My overall takeaway is that the whole album is really accomplished. There's lots of different types of songs and flavours. Some of them are quite catchy, pop-type numbers. Others are funky, some are super chill, and is that some drum n' bass flavour in there..? Musically it's on-point throughout. I really like the trumpets in particular, and that nice funky bass..? Yes please! Maybe this gels more with my Western sensibilities than some other, more traditional Arabic albums, but I did really appreciate the fusion of styles here. It's refreshing to enjoy a complete unknown album that you absolutely would never have heard of otherwise, and in this instance I had a great time with it. 3.5 rounded up.
Insanely long but this had some heat! Managed to not sound repetitive which is an issue I have with a lot of foreign language music. I was feeling it.
Loved this. I'd normally dock a star for being too damn long, but honestly - aside from the cover of Imagine - I don't know which songs wouldn't make the cut.
Who knew? Not a perfect listen, but the majority of these tracks (European edition) were great. Khaled's voice stands out through out; the 2nd track with Amar was outstanding; I will definitely re-visit this in the future for something different, but not in a completely alien voice. 4 solid stars!
Love the French tracks!
I liked this a lot more than I thought! Very accessible even not knowing the language.
Enjoyable Algerian rock. A lot of energy. 3.5/5
I had never heard of this but really enjoyed it .Great music .
я хуй знает, это нестандартная джими-ача. прикололо меня.
There is a lot of variety on this album, you hear the influence from all over the world. There's chansons, samba, conventional rock with a really cheesy Imagine cover and of course the Arab music itself. I really like that this is included in the list. It's a bit too poppy at times and quite long for repeated listens, but it's enjoyable and quite varied.
Algerian Folk-Music with a modern feel, including an interesting cover of John Lennon's "Imagine". I liked it a lot.
That was a pleasant listen. I'm not enough and expert in North African music to say much more but it was fine.
I love hearing such well known songs as "Imagine" in other languages. Being able to appreciate the beauty of a language you don't know while still understanding every word is a wonderful thing. Obviously they switched to english halfway through, but I think my point still stands. Beautiful album! Great instrumentation throughout!
4 star just for imagine cover. Loved that.
Like the arrival lounge at an international airport with one very cheerful cabbie.
Algerische Rai Musik
Mind literally blown! Only a 4 because I’ll never be able to sing along 😭😭
This is actually quite fun. Imagine aside, this was an enjoyable deviation from my usual, and a some very good beats on this.
New to me! (I know...) World music at a very high level
World music in multiple languages +1.
Although I didn't understand the language I still enjoyed this album quite a bit
Cover 6.5 Thankful for the introduction to this album. Although I don't think another cover of Imagine was necessary, given it doesn't significantly differ from the original. Then again, I don't understand the language, so maybe Imagine is in keeping with a theme. I don't think there are any bad songs on this album (perhaps a benefit of not understanding the language), and some actually really good ones, but it is a bit long (1 hr 18 mins). I let my player continue after the album finished and liked some of his other songs also. Great discovery.
Fun listen, don't quite have the ear melodically for this stuff but enjoyed it rhythmically
Suffers from the usual language barrier issues a lot of international albums on this list have, but it's catchy and cinematic enough I'm going to bump it up to a 4
I suspect there are experts in North African music who roll their eyes at the inclusion of this album on the list because it is quite poppy and has an entirely unnecessary cover of Imagine, but I'm a total novice and it sounds great to me just for the melodies as much as anything. Maybe it is the rhythms too because I don't particularly like the slow ones.
it took a little while but this really grew on me throughout my listen. pretty interesting all the way through which is tough for a non-english album that’s 80 minutes long. was thinking it was a 3 for most of the time but i think the last quarter brought it up to a low 4! funny to have the imagine cover in there
Kenza was not what i was expecting at all. This was one of the few albums where i did not scout ahead and listen to previews of the songs here so i was just expecting this to be a typical world album with the string instruments and some wind instruments. But i should have known what genre this actually was due to the pop tag with it having several contemporary pop elements. These actually made the album shockingly really good as they made these songs catchy and unique even for a world album. Khaled's voice was also great and it was a long album that didn't feel like it was dragging on so that was a plus. This was one really good album and a really nice surprise. Best Song: Mele H'Bibti Worst Song: Leili (C'Est La Nuit/Version Arabe)
New to me, like new stuff!
Unavailable on Spotify and You tube. Listened to Sahra, his 1996 album instead
Amazing as everything by Khaled, although a bit more poppy than I'd like.
Interesting fusion between oriental and western music Some cool ones really!
Enfin un album de musique arabe (et pas juste avec des influences appropriées). De belles mélodies, une belle voix, grande charge émotive, production léchée.
This was a fun album overall. I found myself grooving along to most tracks, but there were a few misses that kind of dropped this down to an even 4 out of 5. Had to go find a playlist on YouTube full of the songs, because Spotify did not have the album as of my listen.
Dit was een verassing! Wat een energie!
Nice music
Ik genoot oprecht best wel hard, vooral van de meer disco tracks. Underrated tbh
Never heard of this artist before. It was pretty good. They do a lovely version of Imagine.
There were a lot of moments throughout that I enjoyed with the instrumentals.
4/5. It feels like a time capsule of previous phases of Western music but was honestly quite enjoyable. Just some fun upbeat pop music in a language I don't understand but the vocal melodies work really well with the disco and pop tracks. I also heard some Latin influence as well in some songs. It feels like a Jack of All Trades record and I'm here for it. It was enjoyable and fun, not many complaints except for maybe some of the more ballad-esque songs. Best Song: El Harba Wine, El Bab, Aâlach Tloumouni
loved this one but imagine took me out
Interesting! Not the kind of thing I would have discovered on my own so I appreciated this album
Really funky, although I need to listen a few more times to appreciate some of the duo vocal more than the first pass.
Rather fun
This is exactly the type of thing I signed up for. An artist I've never heard of and would never have listened to normally. I'm not sure what style of music this actually is but it sounds like an Arabic and Latin mash pop to me. Certainly interesting and enjoyable. The cover of Imagine threw me, but I'm glad it came early as I found myself liking the album more and more as it progressed.
That was cool. It's not often I get a non anglo album on this project.
Bangerifico
It's good to hear non western music. Quite liked the differing musical styles on offer. Bit frustrated on not knowing what lyrics meant.
Brilliant stuff, I love it. And would never have listened to it but for 1001 albums.
I really liked this! And it sounded more contemporary than I expected
Je m’attendais pas à viber autant sur de la pop Algérienne, c’est peut-être dût à la sécheresse musicale du générateur qui a assoiffé mon tube auditif. Shoutout aux pistes en français, ont va les avoir!
This was sooo nice and enjoyable !! Been getting into Algerian music and Raï slowly over the years … feel like this is so far the best ‘discovery’ from this list for me
El último tema amé, y parece que Charlotte Adigery se inspiró en el. Al fin un disco que no es el típico rock yanqui o británico genérico. Canciones en árabe, francés y variedad de estilos. Nota: 3.7 pero pongo 4.
Khaled is an Algerian musician, and Kenza is his fourth studio album. The album is named after one of his daughters, whose name is the Arabic word for "treasure." This is a collection of songs of a style called Rai; Khaled is known as the "King of Rai." He is one of the best selling Arabic-language recording artists in history. Khaled's songs are an interesting mix of styles. He combines element of traditional Algerian music, vocal styles and instrumentation, with elements of rock and hints of reggae. Through the success of his music, he became a cultural ambassador and a pioneer of "world music."
Khaled uses alot of influences but yet his voice is an anchorpoint to this. Although his vocal approach isn't standard to regular western music I vibed with this. The length however is something else, I had to cut it in three
This is such a unique sound to me. It seems like a mixture of Algerian folk music (not something I'm at all familiar with), modern pop, and jazz. Not a ton of artists doing something like this, so I'm glad this was on my list today.
Cheesy and, yes, it does give me vibes of eating in a kebab restaurant. But it strangely grew on me over a few listens. I prefer the more upbeat and Arabic sounding efforts to the more Western ones. He’s getting a four from me
Really like this album although it loses a star for being a bit "pop". However, I guess it's meant to be that.
7.5/10 - I was not expecting imagine by John Lennon to just be in the middle of the album. I really enjoyed Trigue Lycee and Ya Aachkou. I think if this was on spotify I would listen to some of the songs quite a bit
You know what... I absolutely loved a good portion of this album. There was a couple of odd inclusions indeed, but the real Arabic tunes had amazing beats and rhythms genuinely brilliant.
I don't really have any context for how to judge this but it was definitely a good time. Very lively and upbeat.
Eigenlijk 3 maar boeie
Not sure how I feel about this version of Imagine. I didn't like Derwiche Tourneur very much, but the rest of the album is quite solid. Good mix of styles.
Awesome stuff.
I quite enjoyed this album - the arabic songs have a really exotic feel, and it's good to have an album on this list that's not English language. The downside is that I've no idea what the songs are about. Except the cover of Imagine. That's a bit dull and doesn't seem in keeping with the rest of the album. At 78 minutes, they could have omitted it. So, a nice record, but not one I think I'd play frequently.
Altijd leuk, die wereldmuziek in de lijst. Vandaag de bijdrage uit Algerije van Khaled, ook bij ons bekend van een paar hitjes die dus niet op dit album staan. Fijn dat er ook uit de Arabische wereld leuke dingen tot ons komen. Op een bepaalde manier zal een plaat als deze ook wel bol staan van de westerse invloeden, niet in het minst in de vorm van een maffe cover van Imagine. Het luistert prettig weg allemaal, al zou ik dit genre niet de hele dag opzetten.
The worst part about this album was the lengths I had to go to actually listen to the damn thing. Once I found it,I found an entertaining album that had me tapping my feet. It had range, evoked emotion and was a treat to listen to.
The music is a great blend of Algerian and Western sounds.
I liked it
Cest la unit was a classic!!!
I'm a sucker for world music. I picked up a Rai Rebels CD in the mid 90s and Khaled was on it. I like the driving intensity. The lilting lyricism. Listening to this album, I am surprised by the diversity. Great cover of Imagine--I'm sure that pissed off the fundamentalists. His voice the real instrument here, forcefully intimate. Gets my vote.
Gosh - this was so poppy and upbeat, it was really easy to get swept up in it! I was indeed Desk-dancing and singing along as best I could. Really fun and a mix-up of genres although I could have done without that version of Imagine. That added nothing to the vibe.
I don't have the cultural background or language to really get this but I enjoyed listening to it.
I really loved this guy. I listened to him the rest of the day
Alright this funky as hell. As much as it's gun to shit on the French, i loved the blend of North African and French sounds. I WILL NOT pay forward their version of imagine because i hate that song. I did also get some disco vibes and I'm a pretty big fan of that so bonus points. Pretty long album and some of the songs sounds pretty similar so just feels a but stretched out. This is definitely something i wouldn't have listened too without this list and glad i did. Gonna lock in a 4/5 for this one.
Honestly, this is a really great album, with the exception of the cover of Imagine, which sounds nice enough, but I can never get over how vacuous that sound is. Overall, it's a really solid album. Great production. The dueling male/female voices sound great together. The music ranges a lot, but it all fits together well 4/5
This is the kind of music I want to discover, even when I don't thoroughly enjoy it. I liked the mixture of styles. The version of "Imagine" was not offensive to me (although the song itself is already saturated). I liked the Algerian French accent in some songs. It's far from something remarkable to me, but its inclusion on the list is fair, and it was a good listening session, with more than a lot of British underground electronic music from what the list is falling in love with.
Fun change of pace. Really enjoyed a decent bit of these. Rating: 4.3
Dance music with middle eastern influence. I very much enjoyed the music, the vocals were less inspiring. Low point was an Arabic version of “Imagine”, which kind of put a stop to the whole groove, and loses the album one star. C’est la Nuit was one of my favorite tracks, probably because it is in French, which I can understand. But loved the first track as well. Good listen! It’s a shame it’s not on Spotify. Listened on YouTube and had to tolerate ad breaks. I’ll look for more of his music!
Nearly halfway into this challenge, I'm starting to encounter fewer and fewer surprises. There are only so many punk records I need to hear (though I like them enough). Occasionally I still get surprised by a new artist. Very rarely do I get to hear an entirely new genre. But that kind of find is what I love most about this challenge. Rai music is completely new to me. I can hardly call myself an expert after just one album and a handful of Wikipedia entries but it definitely sounds pretty interesting! From what I can gather, it emerged in poor communities in Algeria as a rejection of both traditional Arab values and French colonialism. The style appears to be characterized by political stances and incorporation of various other genres, most notably Western popular music. Though I'm mostly ignorant of this movement, I can see that Khalid is a major player in it and it's not hard to see why. The music definitely has its charm. It's varied and infectiously good. I can't help but put it on repeat despite having no background to it. The most memorable moment is also my least favorite, the cover of 'Imagine' which feels a bit gimmicky. But it doesn't prevent the rest of the album from being a great listen.
Had to cobble together a listen since it's not on Spotify, but YT has a playlist that is all but two of the songs. I had to seek out E'Dir E'Sseba & El Harba Wine separately but I'm glad I did, particularly for the former. A really fun peppy tune! Overall the album flows nicely, really good vocal sound and enjoyable instrumentation too!
Not on Spotify, but is on YouTube. I really like the more authentically North African tracks. The ballads and the cover are too generic to my ears. It’s the local flavor that is more exciting and interesting. Though, the dance song is a bop. Lots of variety here. Wish I could save some of this. This was fun and interesting. Wish there was more international representation on this list.
this was a surprise! a mix of so many different genres and styles and even languages. i really enjoyed it!
Diverse, interesting, well produced, round, accessible. Only imagine and c'est la nuit don't fit from my perspective.
fun middle eastern viby album with poppy arabic fusion sounds. Favorite track: trigue lycee other picks: c est la nuit, aalach, trigue lycee, melha, el herba vine, el bab
A world music powerhouse that required a bit of effort to find online but in the end, a worthy treat for your musical palette.
Surprised by the variety of the album. There's only 1 song available on spotify so I listened on youtube music.
My first knowing dip into raï—“Ya Aachkou” and “El Aadyene” have the beats. Interesting context, what with Khaled escaping Algeria’s Black Decade (without getting murdered) to push the whole movement global.
Fun crossover album, and now I want to check out more Algerian music! This is why I love 1001albums! (But why on earth did they have to put Imagine on this album)
I felt this
The rendition of Imagine was awesome! Kinda poppy, but I'm really grooving to this one. Really liked El Bab, too. Has a Caribbean/reggaeton sound to it. A little long for my tastes, but the album was very solid to have on while working to tune out a bit while still jamming a bit.
this ate down
Excited any time I see non-anglo music on here. Could've done without the Imagine cover, but otherwise the album is fun and upbeat. 4* Not on spotify, and the youtube playlist I found had some skippy tracks, but that's not the album's fault.
Surprisingly good. Like an Arabic Lionel Richie in places. Cheesey 80’s production vibes but some proper bangers in there.
Sounds good
Can only Imagine what my review would look like if I knew what the song names meant…
- Khaled made my day! - Also ich glaube die folgende Erkenntnis wird niemanden verwundern, aber mit diesem Album hab ich nun wirklich nicht gerechnet - Und ich muss echt zugeben, dass ich von Sekunde 1 ziemlich hooked war, vielleicht ein bisschen zu doll :D - Hatte durchgehend eine richtig gute Zeit beim Hören, einfach feelgood (zugegeben das Imagine Cover hätte man sich zwar echt sparen können, aber irgendwie war das auch in all seiner cheesyness irgendwie doch ganz wholsome) - Ich finde ja türkischen Pop schon länger richtig geil, allerspätestens, seit dem wir letztes Jahr auf einer Hochzeit in der Türkei waren. Ich weiß, der Mann ist Algerier, aber die musikalische Welt ist definitiv eine ähnliche (was Tonleitern, Instrumentierung etc. angeht) - Schön einfach mal was zu hören, was einen aus seinen sonstigen Hörgewohnheiten so rausholt - Wat soll ich noch groß drumrum reden, es hat so Bock gemacht, 4 Punkte ab dafür (und ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass der Dude der „Aicha“ geschrieben hat, einen 4er bekommt) Rating: 4/5
- What did i just witnessed? - Erst war ich so "wtf?" und langsam aber sicher, aus welchen Gründen auch immer, hat sich mein Herz geöffnet und ich habs komischerweise ziemlich abgefeiert, vor allem zum Ende hin. - Dieser Mix aus verschiedensten Genres und Einflüssen hat auf dieser Platte wirklich reibungslos zusammengepasst. - Ich mag die arabische Sprache und auch für die nordafrikanische und arabische Folklore lass ich mich gerne erwärmen - Stellenweise wird es natürlich äußerst kitschig, aber die und auch die französischen zwischenstücke wirken leider etwas out of place. - Eine absolute Überraschung, hätte ich nach dem ersten Song nicht gedacht, dass mich dieses Album doch in der Form mitnehmen konnte :D 3,5/5
erste song jo schomol haaaard as fuck. schlagzüg geil striicher gönd dumm er singt meega geil. zweite song vrau singt easy höch chönt bitz unagnehm werde aber ihri stimme passed super. isch das album sehr e verwestlichung vo arabischer musig? ahaaa jean jacques gomdman isch debi alles klar. c'est la nuit sehr cute song. ok es imagine cover bruchts eig nie findi. oke sie singed uf arabisch und ändered d melodie ab und so dasch no cool. und vomne algerische sängerin undere israelische sängerin gsunge hittets bsunders hüt nochli andersch. het sini daseinsberechtigung. trigue lycee funky i like. trompete mega schööön, mir egal fallses verwestlichti musig isch. ha glern was rai musig isch dur das album das isch guet. e'dir e'sseba au ultra funky?? mega en banger??? anschinend isch rai musig scho immer en blend us verschiedne kulture gsi. seit wikipedia. melha au saugeile mix mit akkordeon striicher e gitarre funky drums und am khaled sini stimm mit arabische inflektione. raba raba het hert geili perkussion und de siech cha heeeert singe. el bab goht jo heeert los. seeeehr geil blöser sind super mellow. drums ultra geil. el aadyene goht jo mol uuultra hard. find de shit soo geil fuck. Gouloulha-Dji fitzt au insane ane, salsa horns synthi-perkussion? salsa klavier, akkordeon aaaalte. richtig hard. mele h'bibti findi s intro huere lang aber d melodies nocher gönd hard. chli zu akkordeon heavy, findi nöd immer geil. derwiche tourneur ihm drüllt. oke leili isch e reprise eig vo c'est la nuit. cute song. afoch die arabisch version hä.
My familiarity with rai music is... limited (read: none), but I can kind of gleen that this may be a more updated, poppier version of it. Overall, it's pretty solid. The genres switch up quite a bit to where it's a surprise what the next song will sound like, because genres range from trip-hop to something with a cumbia beat? Very cool. There are a few missteps, mostly in the "Imagine" cover and the french-U2 "C'est la nuit". The length also works hard against it. Still, it's a fun listen, and I'd be interested to check out more of what Cheb Khaled has to offer. Favorite tracks: "Aâlach Tloumouni", "Trigue Lycee", "El Aâdyene"
Very interesting mix of styles. It mostly sounds like pop music, but occasionally approaches almost jazz, or samba or something? I really enjoy it honestly. It's unique and feels different than most western stuff, but still very palatable.
At nearly 80 minutes a bit long but pretty interresting.
Had to listen through a YouTube playlist because it is not available on any streaming services in my area. The Imagine cover is corny but otherwise I was digging this album. Standouts for me were Trigue Lycee and Ya Aachkou
Very different than anything I feel like I've listened to previously, in the best way. Really unique sound; some of the songs started to blend together towards the end of the album, but I'll chalk that up to my inexperienced ear. Very enjoyable listen, fun dance music. Top tracks: Aâlach Tloumouni, C'est la nuit, Imagine
This was pretty good! I really did not like the cover of "Imagine" because I thought their voices did not blend well at all, but all the solo songs were pretty good. Most songs were pretty catchy and kept me entertained without going on too long. Shockingly, despite the length, I did not think this album felt too long. I enjoyed listening to this because I have no idea how I would even happen to come across this if it hadn't been for 1001 albums.
other than the cover of imagine, i was here for it. had a lovely time grooving at the farmers market. 3.5
I always rate international albums too high
Gloria musical
Very essential and fun!
Wow, the opening track "Aalach Tloumouni" is a banger! That beat is sick. The next track, "El Harba Wine" is great too. A big, soaring pop song with strings. And I love the guest singer too. She's got this wild, high-pitched voice that ups the drama. I love the way the strings bob and weave through these beats, like on “Melba,” another hard-hitting track. So good. “Raba Raba” has that too but with horns! What a groove! The music surprisingly eclectic. “El Aadyene” has a funky beat and “Gouloulha-Dji” features Latin rhythms. But Khaled makes each genre his own. This was awesome. Really fun and one of the coolest inclusions on the list so far.
Liked this a lot
Im very glad this album was recommended, I would've never known about ria otherwise. I have no idea what they're saying but the instruments sound great!
Me gustó el beat
This is worldly music. Powerful and emotional, this album goes beyond words and language to move the listener. It is truly unfortunate this album is not on Spotify in my country as this is certainly a treasure. Special recognition to "C'est la nuit" and the "Imagine" cover.
Kenza -Khaled 1. Aâlach Tloumouni ❌ 2. El Harba Wine✅ 3. C'est la nuit ❌ 4. Imagine✅ 5. Trigue Lycee✅ 6. E'dir E'sseba✅ 7. Ya Aâchkou ✅ 8. Melha✅ 9. Raba-Raba✅ 10. El Bab ✅ 11. El Aâdyene" – 5:37 ✅ 12. Gouloulha-Dji" – 5:37 ✅ 13. Mele H'bibti" – 6:29 ✅ 14. Derwiche Tourneur" – 6:00 ✅ 15. Leïli C’Est La Nuit/Version Arabe ✅ Top 3 (N/A)
Best ok, niet helemaal mijn ding, maar toch wat goede momenten.
Quite listenable with some interesting rhythms.
I usually have a hard time getting in to music that I can't understand the lyrics. However, I really liked this. I would be interested in hearing something similar with less studio polish.
Mildly obsessed with this now that I tracked it down on a youtube playlist. El Bab is a banger of a tune.
Yeah, I quite enjoyed this. Some songs I could do without, but on the whole, this was a mood booster. I don't think I'd listen to this kind of music all the time, but it's good to try new things sometimes.
Aside from the Imagine cover, this is a really solid and fun listen
En Youtube.com
De va swäg
NGL, first song intro slaps. Imagine cover in there too is clearly recognizable. Better than expected!
Delightful! I enjoyed most of the tracks on this album. I don't understand the lyrics, but the language of the music shines through. It's a neat combination of what in my Westerner ears hear as a traditional Middle-Eastern sound with a modern hip-hop track laid down to accompany it. I look forward to coming back to this album again!
7/10. I think I'd have liked this if it wasn't such rough production quality and having to track it down on youtube
Not on Spotify
According to the 1001 song generator, my highest rated genre is “world”. Despite that seeming a bit broad, I do seem to enjoy the mystery that comes with not understanding the lyrics. I’ve had a few Indian albums so far and enjoyed them all, so I’m optimistic about this one today. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: El Harba Wine, Raba-Raba That album was banging! El Harba Wine genuinely had me bopping away while driving to an appointment and I loved it. I couldn’t tell you what it’s about, but it was such a fun and upbeat song. There are also slower songs such as the cover of John Lennon’s imagine which shows a softer side of Khaled’s voice. Genuinely, I had such a fun time listening to this. It has to be high rated if it makes me feel good.
This is definitely not something I hear every day: Algerian Raï with Western pop and electronic elements. I quite liked it though. It's approachable and familiar enough to appeal to a Western audience - I liked the almost DnB-esque beat on Mele H'Bibti. However I feel it does suffer from some of the usual cheesiness of 90's pop music at points. Despite that it was a fun listen, even if it's another album I don't understand a word of. Also I thought the Imagine cover was pretty nice. Fight me. Favourite: Trigue Lycee
Oh man. I had no idea what to expect. It was lovely. You can feel Khaled's passion in every song. Beautiful instrumentation with both eastern and western influence. Lyrics in 3 different languages makes it fresh and insightful. Very much enjoyed this.
A solid album from Algeria, featuring melodies (and instrumentation) of North Africa and the middle East fused with modern production, giving it a vibrant pop sheen. The cover of Imagine is a bit out of place, mind you.
I remember nothing from it
My first introduction to an Algerian artist, this sounds like a great sample of pop influences into this music. The Imagine cover borders on cringe and delight. Quine El Harba sounds so happy. Ya Aachkou is a good one. E'dir E'sseba has a solid, disco influenced beat. Great album.
3.5
It's hard to rate what's hard to find, but having tracked it down that one can say, definitively, that it's both enjoyable and just exotic enough to suit what one wants from what we used to call world music. One can't say whether or not this is a meaningful updating of Rai, though one feels super The "Imagine" cover is, let's be honest, pretty unfortunate, but bonus points for having his heart in the right place, considering his audience and what was going on in the world at the time. The balance swings and sidles likably. Rounding up perhaps for reasons of lifetime achievement, but also for reasons of international relations (because one of course considers oneself a citizen of the world) and it is worth hearing more musics from more cultures and languages.
Did not expect this from this list 3 2 And did not expect to like it as much as I did. 4
El rei de la música raï imposant la seva vigència a finals dels 90, després que altres estrelles del moviment com Rachid Taha fessin seva la década. Sense ser un aficionat al génere, intueixo que ho aconsegueix, perquè 'Kenza' és un disc monumental, amb grans cançons que parteixen del raï per incorporar altres sons, i que demostren que Khaled és un personatge únic, molt vàlid per arribar a gustos més occidentals. El gran tema se suposa que és 'Trigue Lyceé', però per mi 'C'Est La Nuit' i la increïble versió d''Imagine' s'emporten el premi. Un pél massa llarg però una porta d'entrada immillorable al món del raï pop de Khaled
I enjoyed this one quite a bit despite the language barrier. The music was engaging and easy to listen to. I don’t think I’d listen to this regularly , but it was a unique experience that I wont forget.
Bonus points for representing North Africa! This was a quite enjoyable blend of a variety of styles.
The first two songs sizzle and the second song is one of his best. These are followed by a simple ballad that is hard to really get onto when you don't understand the language. Khald's version of Imagine doesn't add much to the excellent song - except of course for Arabic lyrics. I guess songs like this need to form part of the playlist for pop stars from any country. With Trigue Lycee they return to form. It's good to see some Arabic artists making the cut on the 1001
My co-judge & went through a Rai phase in the 90s and, with JG and his sleeping wife, saw Khaled live at the Danforth Music Hall. Since then he keeps popping up. I’ve watched him sing "Didi" the at the World Cup opening ceremonies in South Africa and I listened many times to his song "C'est La Vie", which seems to have replaced “Hands Up” as the Club Med anthem. It didn’t take Khaled long to incorporate funk & soul and every other world music style into the mix, which was disappointing, but that’s what you need to do to sell 80 million albums, I guess. This album gets off to a shaky start. I’m not against the idea of a duet with a Bhangra singer, but the contrast of vocal styles is jarring, especially so early in the album. "C'est la nuit" is a stinker, and then (yikes) he does a version of “Imagine”! But the schlock is front-end loaded. The most played track, “Trigue Lycee” is more classic Rai, as is “Mele H’Biti”, and though it would have been nice if a few of his signature tunes were on the album, but you must be careful of what you wish for. Between a 3 and 4 for me.
Nicely done once again, 1001 Albums Project: introducing me to yet another artist, album, and style I probably would not otherwise encounter. I really like this album. So many of the elements are different from what my ear typically hears musically, particularly the main components like harmony, rhythm, and melody, so it's wonderful to enjoy the way it contrasts with most music I've heard. There is also a solid sense of soul and emotion in the performance of each track. Khaled is so good! Thank you, 1001 Albums, for opening my mind and listening ears so beautifully.
I was surprised by the creative mix of Jazz and Funk he used with the northern African elements. Especially the second half of the album got me. Unexpected!
Pleasant music, didn't need 80 minutes of it
Mizmar meets accordion. An upbeat mix of Arabic, French and all sorts of other influences. It has enough 'western' elements to be instantly catchy and accessible, but still sounds unfamiliar and interesting. Above all it sounds joyful. It brightened up my drive to work. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Aâlach Tloumouni Date listened: 26/01/23
I really didn’t know what to expect with this, as I’ve never listened to raï music before and almost exclusively listen to music in English, but this was really fun! Such an enjoyable vibe, and put me in a great mood.
Árabe. Pop
Finding Kenza on streaming services proved elusive, so I listened to Khaled's self titled album from 1991. It's around fifty minutes of hip-hop and dance infused Arabian music that leaves no stone unturned in regards to listenable grooves that are provided. Favorite songs include Didi, Ragda, El Ghathi, Braya and Ne m'en voulez pas.
Pretty damn fun.
Beautiful
Pour etre franc, je trouve ca juste trop bon. Jj goldman a la realisation. 4.85
Cool stuff, Algerian singer with a great voice.
Some bangers on here. But too long for me
Rating: 7/10
This album was a bit difficult to find, and even when I found it on Youtube, the track listing did not match the European or American releases. Nevertheless, I believe I got enough of the album to give it a rating. I am not familiar at all with Raï music, but after some reading, it seems as though it has a social justice element to it and addresses themes of colonization and disease. The music itself takes a western song structure form, but the vocal delivery is very unique and one I really like. The use of western instruments such as the sweeping punctuated strings along with Algerian instruments is really interesting and makes for listening that sounds familiar and new at the same time. It's always good to challenge your assumptions about what music should be and this album certainly does that for me.
Interesting, so yeah, I am of the incorrect culture to know this guy, or anything much about Rai in general. So going in more or less blind, it's a lot of fun, a lot of variety of styles (funk, samba, samba accordian, sir?) so you're never bored. Do skip over the cover of Imagine though as that is an abomination. Track 3, man, really? Do you want people to listen to your long long record, or not? The persevering explorer however will be rewarded with a good time. I could do without a second soft rock version of C'est la nuit though.
Khaled s'en sort extrêmement bien, son album d'1h20 représentant un obstacle majeur à l'écoute de Napalm Death. En effet, malgré cela il réussit à obtenir la note de 4/5. Une belle performance pour une telle durée de baragouinage arabe.
Good disc.
Well this was unexpectedly good… was hard to find it to listen to but once I did was rewarded with a very eclectic album - and a very odd but pleasant rendition of Lennon’s Imagine.
Really liked this, but could have done without the cover of Imagine.
Música étnica árabe.
There are pretty good songs on this. Melha might be my favorite. Sadly, I had to listed to this on YouTube with its stupid ads all the time, in a not-so-great quality. But better than nothing, I guess.
Kenza is a fun departure from the more traditional, more obvious albums we've had so far. It's funky, it's fun, and it is repetetive, a fact not helped by me not understanding any of the lyrics. Having listened to it blindly, the random John Lenon in the middle really threw me on a loop too. That said, I cannot deny that it made me pay full attention again, and the remaining songs were good enough to hold it... the vibes were good, at the end of the day, and really does anyone need more?
Utmost surprised, wasn't expecting anything like that. After playing the first song I laughed for a solid minute. After that, I pulled myself together and listened more carefully, which turned out to be a good decision. Kenza is fun, full of Arabic tones and influences, which isn't something I've known before. Fresh and enjoyable, but I'll treat this as a quirky novelty.
Coś zupełnie innego i raczej kojarzy się z muzyką w wschodniej knajpie niż liście top albumów, ale jednocześnie jest ciekawa, bardzo rytmiczna i po prostu fajnie się tego słucha. Cover Imagine jest na tej płycie trochę zbędny.
This one was wild. It was almost like some Bollywood film sounds but then a definite middle eastern sound. The blended into a pop or more modern sound. Very cool stuff.
Good album, I really enjoyed listening to it.
Surprisingly neat bangers. Feels a bit dull on some places especially towards the end but still an ear-refreshing treat.
Hadn't really heard a lot of Rai music and this is the first time of listening to this Album. A mixture of traditional North African/Algerian tunes and western pop/rock this album is definitely of interest. Reading of (Cheb) Khaleb and his approach to his craft it is clear he is both an innovator and a progressive musician. I liked this album and can see, in world music terms, why it is on the list. Loved his interpretation of "Imagine" and also "C'est Le Nuit" An interesting fact that old prog rocker Steve Hillage produced this album, was he jumping on Peter Gabriel's WOMAD bandwagon? I can see it's Value and glad I heard it.
French-African music - the first non-English-language, non-Western music I've got from this list since starting it nearly 3 months ago. First couple of tracks were a little bit cliche Eastern/Arabic, but the album really opens up with a variety of styles. Definitely listen-to-able.
Glad I made the effort to find it.
Arabic gold
Lekkere beats ook al versta ik er niets van
Well I really enjoyed this Arabic language tour through world music. Wonderful percussion sounds and interesting and varied instrumentation. really loved its mix of western style rhythm and ethnic sounds. 4 🌟
Glad this finally popped up on Spotify. Favorite was C'est La Nuit
Well I really enjoyed this Arabic language tour through world music. Wonderful percussion sounds and interesting and varied instrumentation. really loved its mix of western style rhythm and ethnic sounds. 4 🌟
Good music! Never listened to Algerian folk music before, it's fun!
Saved Prior: El Harba Wine Off Rip: Aalach Tloumouni, Trigue Lycee, Ya Aachkou, Melha, El Bab, El Aadyene Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Knew this guy from a feature he had on a french musical CD I used to listen to as a kid (shoutout Émilie Jolie man so inspirational) and by some insane coincidence I got El Harba Wine on a Discover Weekly as a result. Haven't been able to listen to the rest of the album until recently as it wasn't on Spotify but goddamn this is fun. Almost snuck into 5 territory but doesn't quite justify the length.
I was agreeably surprised to find this here. While I usually prefer other Rai musicians, this is a nice and fun album that I had never listen to in its entirety. Makes you want to dance and puts you in a good mood.
his imagine version is a banger
Música étnica árabe
I really got a kick out of this album, but on my first listen I really struggled with a lack of cultural context. Happy to see more worldly music, but it took me some time to find out more about Khaled. It clearly felt like it had western pop and jazz influences, and I loved listening to it! || I eventually found a write up on Khaled and that really helped me. Learning about the history of Rai music, and persecution in Algeria. || I don't think I'll find myself picking this up a lot, but I do really dig the sound, and would always be happy if some songs came up on shuffle. I think this is a 3 or 3.5 musically for me, but going to rate it a 4 because I love a musician who fights against unjust systems and gets to the heart of the people!!
The music is gorgeous and his voice is lovely.
A blend of traditional Algerian, 90s pop, rock and blues. This was super fun to discover. Made me dance my pants off :)
I liked this alot more than I thought I would.
That Imagine cover is pure syrup, but most of Kenza is an enjoyable reminder of why I came to the generator in the first place - to hear something different I otherwise wouldn't have listened to.
Enjoyment: 6 Replayability: 3 Cohesion: 6 Flow/Pacing: 7 Artistic Merit: 5 Weighted Average: 5.2 Review: This was a fun listen. I likely would've enjoyed it more if I understood the words, but my ears don't need English to respect a good album. Liked Song(s): El Habra Wine, Imagine, Ya Aachkou Disliked Song(s): (None) Recommend? No
Catchy 90 sound
Liked it. The up tempo songs were good. I thought the ballads were a little cheesy and dated. This was the first album and/or artist I had no knowledge of. I wait to do research after I listen. I can only assume it’s on this list because it was revolutionary or political or groundbreaking or something. Liked the instrumentation
Some great, more traditional N. African songs and then some dated 90s crap that pulls the album down to a solid three. I suppose I'm more of a Rachid Taha guy, but Khaled will do in a pinch.
Smooth synthy pop with French and Arabic vocals and lots of harmonic minor scales. The fancier higher tempo stuff has the feel of music videos blastic at a late night falafel shop, the slower ballad stuff is tepid.
Thought I was in for a slog during the first song, but it bounced back admirably. Still quite hit and miss but earned its 3 against the odds.
Sort of enjoyable when it was on
Not bad when it stays in genre. Covers are painful.
Khaled ist gefällig aber der ganz grosse Song fehlt auf dem Album
ANOTHER ONE. WE THE BEST MUSIC (Real mixed bag here, but overall the energy was positive and the vibes were good)
This was pretty fun to listen to but only 3 stars.
oh okay! this one's a real curveball. can't tell you if i've listened to any arabic music on this list so far... guess this is our first. yup, traditional arabic pop music, released at the end of the 20th century. this album was named after one of khaled's daughters. i mean, this album is alright, i guess. it's cool to listen to music from other countries, and i do enjoy khaled's meslismatic vocal runs. however this is literally just... it's just contemporary pop music. it may be from another country but it's pretty standard stuff here... slightly overproduced music tracks, drum machines, moderately funky melodies to sing and dance along to, nothing too loud or unpredictable. i expected something a bit more... something that wasn't top 40 music from algeria. it either sounds like ricky martin or a slow cheesy ballad from the credits of a '90s disney film. there's a cover of john lennon's "imagine" on this album. that's what we're dealing with.
Very different and far from my normal listen, but in trying to be subjective, I enjoyed the sound. I wouldn't revisit.
Solid album and I enjoyed this more than I expected. The fusion of multiple genres worked for me but I found it hard to connect on a strong level likely due to the language barrier. Some definite ear worms on this and glad I listened.
Some really great music on here... Imagine if he did no covers
I’ll return to this one. Wish it wasn’t so long
Pleasantly surprised. It was a good one time listen that was better than many of the albums we've already crossed.
Gotta love this list for expanding my horizons yet again. I may not be coming back to this any time soon, but I'm glad to have heard it once. Not everything was my cuppa tea but there were some seriously groovy songs that were hard not to dig.
Thank goodness it’s not DJ Khaled Overly long. Enjoyed it at first but it became a bit of a chore towards the end
Pretty good! Too long, but I liked the overall vibe and found myself unexpectedly enjoying that Imagine cover
No. 214 I have no frame of reference or culture context to evaluate this by. However, it is - objectively - an enjoyable album.
Love the inclusion of this kind of music, but the album as a whole couldn't really woo me
Some fun stuff buried in there
A very interesting blend of ‘90s [primarily] Arabic pop(?) music.
never would have found it any other way, could have been shorter
A good album. Nice surprise!
ну вроде хорошо но не заворожило + многовато ремейков чтобы полноценно погрузиться
Interesting
Listened to this mostly sitting in traffic dropping off Callie at daycare. It seems to pair well with a sunny day. Khaled brings some great energy to his music. I loved the cover of Imagine. Though my favourite cover of that song will always be by A Perfect Circle. It did catch me off guard hearing Kahled’s version.
The imagine cover was so surprising to me because it was a mix of Hebrew and Arabic. It took me a second to realize
India, and Algeria in two days? What are we world Travellers? Let me guess, UK tomorrow? 😏 This was fun, opening track was nice, was surprised with the DnB track later on in, that was dope. I enjoyed my listen through, but probably won't return anytime soon! 7/10
It was fine, not convinced by the Imagine cover though.
I gotta give the generator credit, this is an artist I NEVER would of touched if not for this experience. I think this is the first time I've ever voluntarily listened to Algerian music. There is some cool stuff here. Its cool to see how Khaled fuses traditional Algerian sounds with pop instrumentals that were popular at the time. My two major gripes are the length, it does seem to drag, and the cover of Imagine. Maybe as a bonus track at the end of the album but not shoehorned in the middle. 3.5 rounded down to a 3/5
Cool
Celkom pocúvateľný album z arabského sveta. Akurát tá lennonovka sa mi nepáčila.
This album challenge is a neat way to hear tons of music I would never be exposed to, like this album. El Bab is kind of a fun song and so is El Aadyene. Overall an ok 3 star album for sure.
El Harba Wine with Amar guesting was an enjoyable pop song. C’est La Nuit - dull ballad like one of those quieter shit Eurovision songs. Dreadful Imagine cover - though hard to envisage a good cover of that song. Rest mostly fairly bland polished Middle Eastern with some European influence. Too long. 2.6
Different. No-one needs an Imagine cover version though. Melha and Elbab will remain in my library.
Not too into the production
Hard to judge in the context of the broader Rai genre a so have no basis whatsoever, however it was generally fun and enjoyable borrowing from lots of different influences. That said, “Imagine” was bloody awful!
a fun sounding album that’s poppy production makes it a difficult to listen to after a while, opener is a terrific first impression.
Kept me interested enough for this one listen but that’s about it.
Just ok.
quite fun album tbh very diffent from others
151. nice
How come every time there is an album that I am not really excited for it ends up being an hour and 20 minutes... This is fine... It made fine background music... Would I ever listen to this again? No. Was it bad? No. Low 3.
A fair amount of this album sounded lame and cheesy. It just sounded lame and cheesy in Arabic rather than in English. “Ya Aachku” and “Melha” are alright. Generally, when it avoided schmaltzy sounding pablum it was okay.
No idea how to rate this because I have no frame of reference, doesn’t seem bad tho some are kinda groovy.
goes to some awesome places. ultimately kind of too much of a task for me to be rapturous about it as a whole. "Mele H'Bibti", this is good stuff.
the instruments on el harba wine was amazing, ruined by both voices