Cheb Khaled sings Najat Aatabou?

Over the last couple weeks, the K7MATIC blog has presented several tapes of the incomparable raï singer Cheb Khaled from the 1980s. I've been enjoying in particular the tapes from 1983-84. These albums are fascinating - existing on the cusp between the old full-orchestra style (with violins, accordion, electric guitar, etc.) and the newer electronic style that would come to prominence in the mid-late 1980s. 

I was delighted to hear the oud on a couple tracks from the album Salou Ala Nabi, which blogmaster Reda dates to 1984. 

As the album's final track progressed from a long oud solo into a mawwal and then into the song itself, I giggled gleefully as I recognized the song as "Samhi Liya Lwalida", which appears on Najat Aatabou's first album on Edition Hassania (which I believe dates to 1983 or 1984).

I'm pretty sure all the songs on Najat's album are of her own composition, so this appears to be Cheb Khaled covering Najat Aatabou. Far out!! (If somebody has different information about the song, please share it as a comment below.)

Check out all of K7MATIC's Cheb Khaled posts HERE. I'm particularly digging Atouni Waldi (1983) and Salou Ala Nabi (1984).

And of course you can still find my post/share of the Najat album HERE. Wow, this blog celebrates its 10th anniversary this coming spring!

Maalem Aziz Arradi - 7-Hour Gnawa Lila Recording

Salaam, friends - I just stumbled across a 7-hour (!!) recording of a Gnawa lila from Marrakech/Tamesloht that was posted on the Internet Archive by French musician David Vilayleck. It dates from November 2018 and features Maalem Aziz Arradi from Marrakech. I'm about 3 hours into it, and it's a real gift of a recording. Not because of its sound quality (it was recorded on a smartphone), but because of the pace of the performance and the overall ambiance of the recording.

You can't hear all of the lyrics, the guinbri is a bit buried, the qarqabas are pretty loud, and there's a fair bit of discussion going on among the assembled. In other words, this is what it sounds like to be at a lila. The songs take as long as they require to get where they need to go - or rather, to get people where they need to get to. 

Listen in the player above, or download from the Internet Archive HERE.

Thanks David and Aziz for sharing this recording, and alhamdulillah I found it on good night to be aurally transported away from the shitshow that my country has become.

Allahuma Selli 3la Nnbi - Al Haj Saîd Berrada

For your Ramadan pleasure, here's a nice tape from Al Haj Said Berrada. The Fes-based Aissawi moqaddem here gives us one side of verses dedicated to God and the Prophet, and one side of trance music including the Aissawa take on Sidi Mimoun the Gnawi.

Enjoy, stay safe, be well, and we'll dance together on the other side of all this!

Al Haj Saîd Berrada الحاج سعيد برادة
Allahuma Selli 3la Nnbi اللهم صلي على النبيFes Maatic cassette

1) Allahuma Selli 3la Nnbi اللهم صلي على النبي
   3ashqi ou Ghrami f-Rasul Allah عشقي و غرامي في رسول الله   
   A Rebbi ya Moulay أربي يا مولاي
   Allah Daim الله رايم
2) Almjerred المجرد

3) Lgnawi Baba Mimoun الکناوي بابا ميمون
   Allah Moulana Llah الله مولانا الله

Get it all HERE.