Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Had some good moments, liked when the Algerian folk sound was blended with funk especially but found the album dragged a bit by the end
I listened to the one song available on Spotify. I liked that it was different from my normal music, but not album im going to seek out elsewhere
Nice change of pace, but not something I will ever listen to ever again. "C'est la nuit" is a beautiful song.
Production and instrumentation on this is excellent. Great vocals although hard to fully connect with when I don't understand the language but that's a me problem. Definitely a bit too long but it was really fun, honestly shocked at how much I enjoyed this.
The upbeat stuff was fun. That imagine cover though
Nope. Kinda like the music, but - not his singing.
3.4 stars rounded down.
It’s enjoyable and something different
Good singer, upbeat songs, instruments in the back are good just don’t understand the language so that disconnects me from it
Me gustó mucho por momentos y me hartó bastante por otros
I’ve never been to drug fuelled party in French Morocco but as least now I feel like I’ve had part of the experience
I don’t understand why this is on the list. There must be better albums in arabic
I listened to maybe 4 songs of this on YouTube before I gave up. I know others have had a hard time finding this album too. I'm not entirely sure why that is. What I heard sounded like contemporary middle eastern music and it wasn't bad but it's definitely not something I'm going to seek out.
While I'm not hip to the genre, the middle eastern sounds and singing really connected with me.
Trigue Lycée Honestly easier to listen to than other albums on this list. Never listened to something like this before. Very cultural and educational. Enjoyed it but I don’t know when I’d listen again
There’s a whole world out there eh? This guy sold 80 million records and I never heard of him until now! This is good and cool, except for the Imagine cover. Can’t get away from that song.
3.5
Surprisingly good. Like an Arabic Lionel Richie in places. Cheesey 80’s production vibes but some proper bangers in there.
Way too poppy, way too long, way too much imagine
Sounds good
meh, not really into this style of music. Not saying it's bad. I'm sure there are wide swathes of the world where this is the jam and more power to them.
Could only listen to a bit but what I could listen to on youtube went hard
Apart from Imagine I quite enjoyed this album. 3*
I quite enjoyed it! It was fun.
I do not understand the inclusion of this album on the list. A rare miss when venturing outside of the Western hemisphere.
Let’s all agree that there are plenty of “Imagine” covers out there - thank you. Kenza is also too long and could have easily been shortened by removing “Imagine” and the Arab version of “C’est La Nuit”. Now that we’ve moved past the negatives - this album is just a jam! It’s hard to sit still when Khaled does his thing and I find it difficult not to be instantly charmed by both music and vocals. Raï is one of the many African genres I have only briefly delved into before this. I doubt this’ll be my last encounter though.
I feel like I've heard this a lot in taxis when I was in the middle east in the early noughties. I didn't enjoy it then and I didn't enjoy it now - I think it also feels a bit tokenistic to just include a few random 'world music' albums in the 1001.
no.
Åhh.. Mine vestlige øre har svært ved det her. Det bliver ikke mindre forvirrende at hverken cover, eller fransk..
Jeg troede aldrig jeg skulle høre Imagine på arabisk. Man kan stadig overraskes. Dog overrasker det mig ikke at albummet her ikke fanger mig. Min musikalske opdragelse ligger udelukkende i vestligt funderede genre. Så de mellemøstlige tone på dette album gør ikke noget for mig. Det er ikke decideret frastødende. Det siger mig bare ikke noget.
Great opening track, but disappointing afterwards, too Euro-pop-y in its fusion and beats. Still, a rare bit of variety on the list.
How nice of them to choose Algerian music that is so influenced by Western Pop that it mostly sounds faceless.
There are great arabic artists and albums out there and they still found a way to add this crap to the list. Incredible.
The Challenge's attempts to include music from outside America and Europe are so bad it seems like a farce. They serve us western music influenced overproduced cringy pop of a 90s Khaled? Seriously? There are so many great music acts out there, it's almost an insult.
This is good stuff. I wish it was easier to actually find and play this album, though there's tons of other stuff by Khaled out there.
Decent album in a genre I never listen to. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't really be able to differentiate this against anything else in the genre. It's fun for a listen, but I wouldn't revisit. 2.75/5
Why are so many of the world music albums on this list albums that try to incorporate so much influence from western music. I wanna hear the actual world music, not some dumbed down westernified stuff.
not familiar with the genre and culture, seems generally harmless but dated
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
- Spoiler: nicht gerade für Workouts geeignet (imo) - okay-ish würde ich aber glaube ich nicht wieder hören
This was a real pain to find for whatever reason. Anyway, I have no idea what's going on, but I guess I don't hate it?
Interesting album. Not everyday that we get a foreign language album and they always pose an interesting challenge to judge. I thought musically this was a solid album. I do like to know what the singer is saying a lot of the time so that was a challenge. The use of different instruments and music styles was definitely an interesting switch up. Not sure if this is something I will actively pursue going forward but im glad we got this album.
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.
DJ KHALEEEED sooo e schöni sprach d striicher simmer fast echli z luut? uhh c'est la nuit huren schön ui nei ich find imagine scho so mengisch chli ahstrengend, weiss nöd öbnich es cover guet find wenigstens singeds arabisch NVM BITTE NÖD ENGLISCH oh oke d scratches findi jz nöd so nötig, würkt wie wenns eifach innetah worde sind wills damals gad beliebt gsi isch in westeuropa el baber ES ISCH FUCKING LANG
Only one song available on Spotify, but it was catchy. Not sure if a whole album would be my thing, though.
For people who like Arabic music.
More of a 3.2
Não foi uma opção de fato interessante de música africana. Nem mesmo a versão de Imagine.
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.
5.5/10
I had to listen to this on YouTube, which always starts me off on the wrong foot. There were a few cool songs on this album, but that Imagine cover was brutal.
Trash, the sorta music you hear in a NYC cab
I hated it. I really don’t care for this style/genre/microtonal singing
In an alternate universe this album could be one of my favourites but it's not . Not taking anything away from it , its just alright .
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
I really like the maqams they use in Arabic music, but the production on this album feels kind of bland to me
Okay, C'est la nuit was cool
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
Reading about this style of music, it apparently has a bit more political bent to it than I was expecting. Not knowing the language, I hear yearning and nostalgia and assume it's romantic, but that may only be in parts. Good listen either way!
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'm not actually sure I loved this album five stars much, but it's at least a 4 and I'm excited to discover this genre of music! I didn't love the ballads but found it interesting how close to salsa some of them were. Interesting instrumentation and really fun.
I always rate international albums too high
Gloria musical
Some lovely tracks and some absolutely awful tracks, some to dance with and some to skip
Started off very strongly but lost momentum as it went on. Imagine was not great, but there were some other good bops on here that made us want to dance.
This slaps, not on youtube
Loved the sound, but too long and some songs were a little boring
Such a diverse album. I had zero expectations, but this album has everything from chanson to disco. Sounds fresh even today.
I couldn’t find a complete edition of this Algerian music. Started off good with a traditional sounding song which was pretty cool but when it turned into a pip album It started to annoy me after the 4th song.
Very essential and fun!
Unfortunately don't speak the language so can't comment on it too much other than, some songs sounded nice. And that's all you need sometimes
Fourth studio album? Say it ain't so Joe. Admittedly, Youtube Music only had a few of the songs of this album, so I can't listen to the whole thing. It's got a lot of energy.
A tough one to evaluate, though it is pretty approachable for a non-English album. Trigue Lycee was a standout on a first listen and it was all fine, though I was interested in skipping Gnawi style after a minute or two in. I doubt I'll be listening again, but this was a good experience.
Minus minus minus
Terrible.
Instead of something playing at the local pub, this would probably play where I usually get my fast food later in the evening, so it feels somewhat familiar. It was funny to suddenly hear Lennon's Imagine in the middle of unknown foreign music.
Fun album. Wasn't able to understand the words, but I did enjoy the music. 3/5!
Call me uncultured swine, but I really can’t get much into this at all. 1.5/5
Note: This album is not on Spotify, but I found it on Youtube. This should be interesting, Algerian pop... and it gets off to a really good start. The first song has a very cool beat and groove. The instrumentation is consistent with my expectations from that region of the world. Can't comment on the lyrics, as they're Algerian (I presume). Certainly, a niche album, I doubt I'll listen to it again. But it was interesting, and far from boring. 3/5 to
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.
This slapped. I really sometimes get caught off guard by traditional non-American music set in modern productions / tones / songwriting techniques, and this one hit that. The concept is like taking something old and conventionally "dated" and reviving it while still respecting where it comes from. Sort of like how a band like "The Punch Brothers" do traditional bluegrass and folk music but will play a mandolin like it's a guitar in a Radiohead track. This album did that, and I enjoyed it. Cool album cover. It's nonchalant and yet makes you really think about the composition. Plus the graphic design and colors are awesome. Very happy with this one and will listen again.
It’s a middle eastern bop.
Leave off mate
Liked this a lot
Like straight vibe throughout i just dk what he b saying 5/7
Variety, the Arabic sounding songs were cool
Klingt für mich fremd... aber ist wohl in seiner Art großartig.
(Chab) Khaled on the list! Big hero of mine, once since I heard his addictive La Camel (Khaled en Safy Boutella) years and years ago, song that never left my mind. First song of album was great, but then e.g. C'est La Nuit and the cover of Lennons Imagine? Nope. Boring. So overalll: only 3/5 )-:
Fun sounds
Nope... nope
Highlights: El Harba Wine, El Bab. Ignore the global rating (2.6 at time of publishing). Just listen. Look up the lyrics translation later. Overall: 6/10
I'm currently at album #956, but evidently I listened to this one and never rated it. I have no idea what I would have rated it at the time, but at this point I think it is mostly pretty good but maybe something that feels a little too generic or typical of Arabic music. That's not to say it isn't quite good, and I think this is a solid inclusion on the list. There are a few really interesting songs, but I don't feel very strongly about this album aside from the rather misguided "Imagine" cover, which unfortunately does drag down my enjoyment of this album a fair bit. This is yet another album that I feel could maybe benefit from being shorter. Favorite track(s): "El Harba Wine" (originally), "Mele H'Bibti" (listening again now)
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!
Ok, here's one where I wish I'd had the book to reference because I'm curious what they had to say about it. I don't know...anything about Rai music, and while the wikipedia entry for Khaled indicates he's one of the most important musicians in the genre, I'm still wanting to contextualize this within the wider Rai genre and the Algerian musical landscape. Alas, this is another album where the only non-credit/tracklist piece of info is the album's presence on this very list, and while there's room on this list for every Scottish winner of the Mercury Prize, there's only room for one Rai album.
el Khaled bueno
Me gustó el beat
no idea why this is on the list at all
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.
didn't save :( cba writng it all out enjoyable listen, good background music for me
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)
nah because this kinda slaps somehow
Always loved this stuff in my younger years. Approachable but too polished. I like the old stuff
Best ok, niet helemaal mijn ding, maar toch wat goede momenten.
I like his voice and the music is varied and fun. Not going to be a staple in my shuffle, but a decently entertaining listen.
Potevo anche sopportare le tracce in arabo…ma quella in francese è la cover di Imagine sono le due che annullano la qualità dell’album
Got as far as the terrible cover of Imagine. No thanks.
Not really my kind of album but I did like the cover of imagine.
Appreciate this is out of my comfort zone and frame of cultural reference. He does put a lot of energy into it and seems like it could be a good poppy album if I was more engaged. Imagine seems like a parody from a bad movie. 2
When the more traditional tracks are playing, I can get behind this album. But the attempts at poppy or modernizing a traditionally ethnic music is where I get lost. Luckily for Khaled, the celebrity pandemic version of John Lennon's 'Imagine' can be catergorized as the worst version ever. 2.5/5
I like getting introduced to new things and whilst I didnt find this offensive, it didn't hold much interest for me. A low 3
Just wonderful! The tabla, the return to Middle Eastern beats, the joy
Not my usual type of thing but actually I can imagine myself dancing to a lot of these songs after a couple of drinks. Good vibes
From the album cover to the production and the 70’s throwback vibes, this definitely feels like 1999.
Nope.
There is only 1 song from this album available on Spotify in the USA as of 02/24. I guess I'm just giving it a default rating of 3 due to the fact that the 1 song was not bad but I have nothing else to go along with it either
Quite listenable with some interesting rhythms.
Not for me 1/5
💩
No thank you.
Didn't click with me.
I never thought I’d hear an Arabic version of “Imagine”, but here we are. This album is full of strong melodies and pretty great song construction. A nice surprise!
This was ok. I appreciate world music but this one didn’t do a whole lot for me.
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.
Not really for me. Some cooler disco sounding tracks, but not really my thing.
Spotify only has one song from this album available in the US, but based on that...yeah, no.
Mildly obsessed with this now that I tracked it down on a youtube playlist. El Bab is a banger of a tune.
Unfortunately most of the album wasn’t accessible but I really enjoyed what I did hear.
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.
No es mi estilo.
Khaled is most known for being a larger than life figure in the sphere of Rai music. For those who don't know, Rai music is a type of folk music that originated from Algeria in the early 1900s and became an outlet for political commentary and social commentary. These Rai artists rejected the traditional aspects and expectations of arab society. Lots of cool history with the music genre itself. As for this album, it's really more Rai-pop than pure Rai music. The instrumentals are very influenced by western genres that were popular at the time, such as hip-hop. It really takes away from the history and importance of Rai, and at this point just sounds dated. Oh, and that Imagine cover, oof.
Aside from the Imagine cover, this is a really solid and fun listen
En Youtube.com
Not really my thing.
A bit of a mixed bag. This started well, and some of the more traditional and soul-tinged tunes (such as El Bab) here are lovely. But that version of Imagine added nothing to what is already an over-wrought song. 2.5/5.
I've no reference points to evalauate this with. Which sounds incredibly cold. But as a standalone piece of work, it means very little to me. I had to bail at Imagine, a song I don't like at the best of times.
could i write poetry to this? n
I'll most likely never listen to it again, but it does the job it set out to do. I don't like his singing style, but that's a cultural difference. I liked the guest vocalists more. The strings are great throughout. Probably 100 options for a Britney Spears Toxic style bop for Max Martin to pick from.
Not on spotify- had to find a random version on youtube that I think was missing a track. Props to the book author for including a record like this in the listings, but I couldn't figure out why this particular record was included. It didn't feel unique to any of the other middle eastern music I've heard. Some cool musical ideas in tracks like c'est la nuit. I enjoy the middle eastern a-a-a-a-a thing I heard a bunch, but overall it kinda felt like a drag.
Good music, but not my taste. Also, almost impossible to stream. I tried spotify, amazon, YouTube Music and Apple. I finally had to listen to it on youtube.
Was a bit skeptical for the first few tracks but there are some really groovy cuts on here! Solid 3
De va swäg
Did not like the one song I listened to
I don't subscribe to Spotify so it took some time to listen to the songs in order. I can't believe this is on here and zero Tool albums are. Regardless, I did find myself dancing a bit to these songs.
If I want to listen to this kind of music, and believe me, I really don't, then I just go for a haircut here in the UK - where all of the gents salons have this playing whilst the football highlights are running
6/10
For anyone dismayed that this album only has one song available on spotify, youtube has playlists of this album. Listening notes, some of the songs were interesting takes, many of the songs were not my speed.
I was hopping to discover this kind of music, enjoyed the first couple of songs but then it became absolutely repetitive to the point I didn't even finished the album.
I mean, the one song that was available to listen to felt nice. 🤷🏻♀️
Pleasant
Fun collection of songs
NGL, first song intro slaps. Imagine cover in there too is clearly recognizable. Better than expected!
Eh
Man möchte einfach nur lostanzen und nicht mehr aufhören....
Quintessential Arabian sound. This is basically the soundscape Hollywood uses as shorthand for the middle east and it sounds amazing. Khaled's classically beautiful baritone is absolutely accentuated by the backing instrumentation. I wish I understood the lyrics, but that by no means detracts from the soundscape
This is not enjoyable at all, I appreciate different cultures have different tastes and do like that this list includes that but really not for me.
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!
Pure pop is generally not my jam, and that holds here.
I am glad to have heard this, but I doubt I'd revisit it.
This was a ton of fun.
I would agree with the distribution of views on Youtube: "Trigue Lycee" and "Raba Raba" are good tracks while the rest are pretty forgettable. The fusion of the traditional sound and Western popular music just works really well on these two songs. For example, in "Raba Raba", you can hear a tango melody in the trumpet section in the middle, while the influence on the rest of the song is much more subtle: it creates more energy and makes the sound sharper. By contrast, a few of the later tracks give the impression that Middle Eastern elements are being added to a full song in another style (Latin, dance, and even hip-hop). Which can still be fun but is less of an actual innovation in music.
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
I don’t think this was very good but I was genuinely surprised at the start of nearly every song, which counts for something. I’ll almost certainly never return to it given that it isn’t on Spotify. 6/10
Couldn't finish 1 song.
Listened Before? N Another one that's mostly not available on Spotify. I listened to the one song that WAS on there, and it's very interesting... I'll give it a bonus star. Added to Library? Can't Songs added to playlist: El Harba Wine
More enjoyable than expected. Definitely Arabian music
Very cheesy
Cool to hear foreign music.The guys life is crazy but the music is just fine (club-ish?) songs.
This seems a little slickly produced and trying to bring in as wide an audience as possible. However, it was a great entry point for the artist and I have listened to his self titled album which seems more accomplished and exciting. I look forward to exploring his catalog and the Rai music genre.
Bobbing my head like that Jay-Z gif cause I don’t understand I damn thing on this album
Not a genre of music I've spent a huge amount of time listening to but honestly pretty good, I had no frame of reference on how good the vocals were but in the imagine cover they seemed on point. Lush strings, nice melodies, crisp percussion, the music puts you in a good mood. My biggest complaint would probably be that I felt like it stretched on too long. High 2.
Algerische Folk Musik, die von Kitsch "Imagine" bis Bollywood-artiger Musik reicht "Trigue Lycee"
Ýmislegt áhugavert, skemmtilegt popp-fönk inn á milli.
I feel bad giving this album such a low rating, because I'm actually quite fond of Khaled. But we're rating albums, and not artists. This album is where the music of Khaled really started to lose me a bit . Too smooth and polished, a far cry from his raw and energetic Rai from the 80's. The Algerian 80's period, when he was still called Cheb Khaled, was filled with amazing Rai and many classics were written in that period. His French 90's period, when he moved to Paris, brought many Western influences to his music, and made his music even more interesting. But here, together with the The Brooklyn Funk Essentials, he rehashes or reinterprets many of his older songs which really could've and maybe should've been left alone. Later he'll make better albums again. It's just not this one, I'm afraid.
I enjoyed the strings and the more traditional Arabic sounds. I didn’t much enjoy the attempts to incorporate modern pop & funk elements. Actually, I thought the album was a bit of a stinker at first but grew quite fond of a lot of the grooves in the end. I have no idea if this was an important, must-hear album within its particular genre, but it’s nice to hear something a bit different so I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.
This had a bit of a rocky start, but I ended up kind of liking it. Nothing amazing, but pretty catchy and listenable and easy to have on in the background.
It was okay, not really my bag
I only listened to one track. I can appreciate the style, but it’s not my particular style, nor do I care to listen to it.
Imagine Raba-Raba
Only one song is on Spotify.
I didn't hate it, it was just... different.
Decent, but difficult to find streaming
Bastante interesante , no es algo muy de mi estilo pero fue divertido
Que bosta
No pienso escucharlo entero.
Not on Spotify
Good music, but went on too long
i love some eastern funk check out habibi funk compilations not thius
Fun listen! Warmed up to it as the album progressed
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.
A slog to be honest
This is definitely an album I never would have listened to if I weren't doing this. So in that way this was great. I didn't particularly like it, but it wasn't bad either.
The backing tracks are interesting. But quarter tone harmony gives me vertigo and this common mideastern vocal style sounds like someone complaining about something they ate while straining to push it out their arse.
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
Bletch. I would love to hear some actual Algerian or other middle eastern music. But this is just garbage pop sung in a style. And Imagine.... Jesus Christ what a bad version. I was wondering if he had the balls to say "No religion" and it appears he did that right... so. I don't know. There are moments on here that I like. The first track is actually really good. And some bits in the last 10% of the record are alright as well. But overall, this isn't good.
One of the reasons this list/website is cool is because you get to learn about albums that aren’t so well known. However, there comes a point where it becomes so difficult to find any version of the album that you wonder if maybe there’s a reason for that. Hidden gems aren’t hidden this well. I enjoyed the album. It wasn’t good, really. Whatever, I’m tired. 2/5
Total surprise. Track 2 was a total banger! Really enjoyed the album - first listen was amazing. Second listen it started to get a bit annoying
1999 год, национальная музыка. Я боялся что это будет DJ Khaleed. Но нет, это Халед Хадж Ибрагим. Я его знаю по песне "Аищя". Ну... Мне тяжело оценить. Верю, что это прорывные работы, как пишут в википедии, штуки, разрушающие устои ислама, потому порицаемые и осуждаемые. Но одно дело верить на слово и другое -- прочувствовать. Прочувствовать это я не могу в полной мере. Из-за манеры исполнения, из-за текста. Но это не один уже однозначно, слушается неплохо.
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.
Lovely voice and songs, but a bit repetitive in the end and as a whole.
Love the international sounds that get included on this list...really expands my repertoire. This was another that pleasantly surprised me . 3/5
Impressions: Album was hard to find, listening on a YouTube playlist. I don’t know about this, it’s not in English, hard to judge. Favorite tracks: - Rating: 2/5
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.
Odd but enjoyable the cover of imagine was unexpected.
The interesting bits were too infrequent and not enough to carry the unwelcome pop-influenced stuff. What the hell was going on with that 'Imagine' cover?
I made it all the way through this one. Enough said.
Not something I'd actively seek out, but glad I listened. As an album, it's far too long, interesting mix of arabic rai with western pop, (obviously a Beatles fan), good start, lagging middle and picked up towards the end. 2.5
Ty Spotify for having this album
Nah. Better as a DJ.
Allahu akbaaaaar
not really for me?
ABDULpls It was alright, lots of variety. My hookah was done before this album finished playing, minus points for that
Rijahd Gosling very nice instrumentals but I hated the vocals on every single track
It's kind of hard for me to rate this appropriately. This album is not available in the US and is hard to find. The best I could do was a playlist on YouTube, with videos mixed at different levels of differing lengths than the album tracks and interrupted every so often by ads. Tough to really get immersed in it.
It's alright, I guess. Just... kinda disappointing, really. The first several tracks promised something magical... and the rest of the album failed to deliver on that promise. It got progressively cheesier and lamer as the album went on. By the end I was so glad it was over.
Decent world music
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.
fascinating hybrid of dance, pop, and arabic music. very pleasing to the ear.
2.5-3.0
3.5
Quine El Harba is such a banger, I really like the instrumental. The vocals on track 1 felt pretty strained. Trig Lychee sounds wicked ahead of its time, very much reminds me of Kygo type stuff. The beat on E'dir E'sseba is awesome too. Gouloulha had annoying vocals once again. This one has some really great tracks, but also some pretty annoying ones.
Kenza, from Algeria Genre: Rai, Algerian Folk Music Not a fan of Arabic-style music... I currently live in an Arab country (for work) and do have some influences here. This is an album that I can just easily pass it by and not ever miss it. It is worth listening to though. There are some nice styles and sounds. I have a little more appreciation for the style of music now. I like the mix of Arabic, French and familiar versions of songs... Will I listen to it again? Hmmmm.... maybe not... but, I should. Especially the "best tracks" listed below... Best tracks: El Harba Wine, C'est la nuit, Imagine, Imagine shouldn't work but does. It is a beautiful version flawlessly sung as a duet. 3.5/5
Not something that I thought I would enjoy but it was really good.
Brani Preferiti: - "Gouloulha-Dji" Note: Non ho la minima idea sul come valutare questo album. Ho ascoltato molte canzoni arabe nella mia vita, ma questo è un genere tutto suo. Per il disco sono presenti dei momenti interessanti e generalmente parlando la base strumentale non è male.
Was it the train of screaming school children or the album itself? We’ll never know. What we do know is that I will not be tuning in again, apologies :(. Under different circumstances you might’ve been the one (probs not).
Not available on Apple Music.
Not available on apple music and only one song on Spotify. Sorry Khaled. Maybe in the future we will get, to quote a future namesake of yours, another one.
Always frustrating when we get an album that's not on Apple Music. Usually I take the time to piece it together from what releases do exist, but this one's really difficult to do since the titles are not in English. I listened to a different Kenza release from 1999 instead - I really don't know what kind of difference that makes, as the only noteworthy thing about this album on wikipedia is that it's included on this list. Not a good sign. Anyway the album I listened to had a couple cool tracks. It's a very specific style of music, apparently Algerian? I do like it, but a whole album length is a little tough for me. Getting this and the Shalimar soundtrack so close together really emphasize how hamstrung this listmaker was to pull in some international picks. Call of the Valley: incredible. These two: headscratchers to me. Favorite tracks: (can't pick any because I had to listen to a different album) Album art: Really like this shot a lot, makes me wish I had heard the right album because it just looks so cool. Guy is dressed like the '70s, in a car that's probably from the '70s too. I respect it. 2.5/5
Middle-eastern singing over pop-ish backing
Couldn’t listen on Apple Music or YouTube. Only could hear one song
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.
Meh, the cover of imagine killed any hope I had for this album,
Couldn’t find it on Spotify
Spotify only had one song: "El Harba Wine". I'd characterize it as Middle Eastern Pop. It was nothing special so I am not going to chase down the other songs on YouTube or wherever. Not my thing but the guy can sing though so bonus point.
Unable to download songs
Tried to listen, but for some reason only one song from the album was available to play on spotify.
Some of the music was really good. Singing at times sounded like someone with low fiber diet on the toilet.
There were a few tracks I actually enjoyed particularly for the music and percussion. This isn’t something I need to revisit, though.
I just couldn't get into it.
Never got to the point where I wanted to turn it off, but never really clicked either. Not the worst thing we've listened to but I'll never put it on again.
Moeizaam voor mij... De cover art me dan wel deed denken aan de pinda foto's die Arie ooit in zijn nieuwe appartement vond, dus dat is eigenlijk meer dan die ene ster waard.
Leuk hor, dat raï. Maar als je aan Lennon komt en Imagine zo verkracht...
Aan energie ontbreekt het niet bij Khaled! Maar na een nummertje of 5 heb ik het wel een beetje gehoord. En als er dan ook nog een mierzoete versie van Imagine tegenaan gegooid wordt dan zit ik echt aan mn tax.
Ik vond dit kostelijk.
Not my cup of tea.
Not for me.
I live in Qatar and Arabic music is all around. I choose not to listen. This is better than expected, but not really something I'd ever listen to. Ever. El Harba Wine is a nice listen. I like the male-female contrast in sounds. C'est la nuit - a French song. Whew, thank you. Very nice. Some songs should not be messed with... Imagine someone trying to remake the John Lennon classic, in a foreign language. Oh but I liked it! Quite a lot. Definitely my favorite from the album. The rest of the album is just ok. 3/5
Pensavo mi sarebbe piaciuto meno, ma non è un granché
replacement = calico
Could not find a way to listen to this album
He's one of the great Raï singers, btw not my genre.
Beetje gaar
I don't know what I'm meant to do with this album, not speaking any of the languages it's performed in, and there's also a really bad cover of Imagine on there. I'm absolutely here for a broader representation of world music/non-English influences but at least make it good if you're adding it.
Not for me, this. Trigue Lycee was a pleasant enough listen, but none of the rest really stood out. Apart from the cover of Imagine, that was really, really painful. 2/5, Imagine nearly dragged it down to a 1 though.
Hur i helvete kan den här skivan vara med.
Did not expect this from this list 3 2 And did not expect to like it as much as I did. 4
# 55 : what? Who? Why? - The point of this whole list is to go out of your comfort zone and listen to some stuff you wouldn't choose to and this definitely fits the bill. A nice change of pace from some of the other albums we have heard so far.
Favourite songs: Melha, El Aadyene, El Harba Wine, Imagine Least favourite songs: C'est La Nuit 3/5
Not really sure I took all this in on the first listen, wildly different. Shocking cover of imagine though
It's cool to get an Algerian album but I really wasn't a fan for 90% of it. The first couple of tracks leading up to the imagine cover sucked and then it wasn't terrible for a little bit but then I just got sick of it after about 45 minutes. Combined with how much of a pain in the ass it was to listen to this album even on YouTube, this album is lucky to get a 2.
This was one is weird to rate. Did I enjoy it? Somewhat. Was it a bit long for what it was? Yes, but there was good variation. Does it need to be included on this list? Absolutely not. This author is a hack. Was it easy/fun to find? No, I did not enjoy playing Frankensteining this album together just to listen to it.
Cool but no Imagine covers please.
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
Not on Spotify. L
actually pretty listenable for traditional Indian music all the songs after imagine are pretty decent 3.5
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.
This is different, new, and fun. There were a few moments for me when, even though I didn't know what message the lyrics were conveying, the music did have a slight hint of cheese in the delivery. But, I suppose pop music often does.
Very enjoyable. Wish the whole thing was available in the US.
In the 70s when belly dancing became a crazy my mother added numerous 1950s-era albums from Mohammed El Bakkar & His Oriental Ensemble to our family collection. I became an instant fan and still enjoy these albums to this day. I very much enjoyed listening to this much more modern Algerian album. Some of the songs hinted back strongly to those 50s albums, while others were entirely modern and enjoyable. My only complaint was that this was not available on Apple Music in the US so I had to get creative to find the songs. It was a surprise to be listening along then come upon a modern dance track like E’dir E’sseba. That had me grooving on personal dance floor! I guess it speaks to the insular nature of living in the United States to discover that since the 80s Khaled has become a world pop phenomenon and I had no inkling of him before now. I love this!
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.
If this album was sung in English I would rate it a 1 because it’s generic and bland pop. So just because it’s sung in Arabic I won’t give it any charity either. And also his cover of Imagine is insipid and doesn’t add anything at all.
I mean... I'd kill to be this good in one language never mind three, but the cheesy production and the cover of Imagine left me cold. It's good. Not great.
ummmm
This was difficult to find. What the hell does legendary guitarist Steve Hillage have to do with this? Bizarre.
I’m all for getting out of your comfort zone and listening to something you normally wouldn’t but… not this
Fave tracks: El Harba Wine, E’Dir E’Sseba, raba raba,derwich tourbeur ,leili Just not my thing at all 2/5
I doubt that I ever would have heard this if I hadn’t joined this program. And it’s produced by Don Was, one of my favorite musicians and producers. The one false note was “Imagine,” which has been done so often. But I loved the rest!
Thought this was interesting, but a bit hit and miss. The first few songs were misses, but after the Imagine cover it really finds its feet. C'est la Nuit was my least favourite.
tri massa o sonzao indiano, instrumentos e melodias agradáveis
An easygoing album held back by my inability to understand the lyrics.
It’s not available as a whole album anywhere. Why is this here?
Tbf, Arabic “imagine” is kind of a vibe. 2.5
Interesting resource for one form of international (to Americans) music.
The first few tracks left me thinking that this is not my music. But after imagine it got way better.
Really varied, and such hard to rate. Some of it was far too soft for my ears. Some decent tunes in there. Having Arab music on the radio frequently for the past 8 years had led to me being a bit over the stylings in general. Mele habiti is pretty decent though.
There’s precious little music from outside the English-speaking world on this list, so it’s fascinating to hear what was popular in other countries during your own childhood. Khaled is an immensely talented and emotional singer, really pouring himself into his songs.
Interesting had no idea what they were saying but the music was enjoyable. Spotify limited me to only one track.
Only one song from this album was available on Spotify. I listened to it and a few of the top 5 that were available and it was definitely not my thing
Not really my vibe, was nice but won't be running back to listen
This is a mixed bag, ranging from "this is fun" to "meh". And then there is the hideous cover verson of Imagine.... Anyhow, the beginning of the album left me intrigued, but it can't fill it's considerable running time with enough variation to stay interesting throughout. 2.5/5
Not for me
I wanted to like it but the production and Polish just aren’t my taste