RACHID TAHA, KHALED, FAUDEL
"1, 2, 3 Soleils" (2000)
Since Algeria declared independence in 1962, France has experienced a wave of North African immigration, and with it a frighteningly pervasive, internationally publicized wave of populist xenophobia, spearheaded by the far-right National Front party. And while it's no surprise that the Algerian community has proudly turned to its national disco strain, raï, it's interesting to note that the music has become an artistic and commercial powerhouse with whites as well, asserting a crossover appeal not unlike that of hip hop in America.
A global fusion of Moroccan melodies, Spanish-influenced flamenco guitars, salsa horns, disco beats, and rock electricity, raï's sex- and booze-soaked intensity is derided in Algeria for emphasizing the body rather than the soul. Yet, raï is party music as resistance - pop that's as unifying as it is rebellious. For immigrants and French people of Algerian descent, raï serves as a community-building tool, and a way to fashion a small token of rebellion against racist pressure. (For women specifically, raï concerts can be the one time when they're able to let loose, away from their fathers and brothers.)
Recorded at Bercy, Paris's biggest concert venue, on September 26, 1998, "1, 2, 3 Soleils" ("1, 2, 3 Suns") features three of raï's leading men (its three tenors, essentially): Rachid Taha, Faudel and Khaled. Taha, who began his career in 1981 with the Lyon rock band CARTE DE SÉJOUR, may be the most adventurous of the three, recently scoring electronica-flavored hits in England. Khaled is an old-school veteran who has aggressively courted the mainstream, while the youngest, Faudel, represents the new breed, with roots in the projects of Paris.
For the occasion, the three suns were backed by a huge band that included rock instruments alongside North African staples like the oud (Arabian lute) and the gasbar (a kind of flute), as well as both a French and an Egyptian string section. (We're talking 50 people onstage here.) Lifted by an audibly delirious crowd, the singers get the party going with the monstrous groove of "Menfi" and they don't let up for over two hours. Singing solo as well as in various combinations, the vocalists cover a wide array of styles, from the funky, horn-fueled crossover hit "N'ssi N'ssi" to the flamenco-influenced "Omri". Likewise, the panexotic "Indie" overflows with a number of divergent strains - a frenetic, proto-techno beat, a flute supplying a melancholic counterpoint to Taha and Khaled's wailing vocals, and violins that could make Chic blush.
Throughout, politics stays at the foreground, as on Taha's "Voilà Voilà", which attacks French xenophobia and the subsequent anti-immigrant feelings it provokes: "Here it is, it's starting again, everywhere in our sweet France/Foreigner, you're the root of our problems/I thought it would be over, but here it goes again/Everywhere they're getting closer". Driving the point home, the song is in French, while all the others are in Arabic. But its string-laden disco-track and urgent horn cries are also wickedly groovy, proving that agit-pop can come in many glorious shapes, forms and contexts.
Elisabeth Vincentelli
January 27, 1999
"City Pages (Minneapolis/St.Paul)"
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This CD documents an epochal 1998 performance by three Algerian singer-composers. Khaled is the undisputed king of raï, a rebellious, Western-influenced style spawned in the port city of Oran. As he was in constant danger from outraged Muslim fundamentalists, he fled to Paris. Later on, Rachid Taha formed a rock band called CARTE DE SÉJOUR (GREEN CARD), which addressed the concerns of downtrodden immigrant populations in France. Last but not least, the talented newcomer Faudel is often referred to as Khaled's heir apparent. The 13 tracks include such monster hits as "Didi", "N'ssi N'ssi" and "Chebba" plus "Aicha" - a bit of ear candy from Jean-Jacques Goldman - and the French pop chestnut "Comme le Habitude". This is easily one of the best-engineered live recordings ever made, capturing the empathy shared by the singers and a wildly enthusiastic audience while providing an indelible sense of time and place.
Christina Roden
"Amazon.com"
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"1, 2, 3 Soleils", live album of the epochmaking event of French-Algerian pop music on September 26, 1998 at the Palais Omnisport de Bercy, Paris. Khaled, super-star of Algerian raï; Taha, rock singer, ex-member of the immigrant group CARTE DE SÉJOUR in '80; Faudel, star of all French youth, first initiated to music by his grandmother living in the region of Oran: these "Trois Soleils", with both Occidental and Oriental musicians, realized an excellent fusion style music. The performance of the three was held in front of over 16.000 effervescent youths of all origins: blacks, blancs, beurs - Blacks, Whites, Arabes... and Orientals, like me.
You have also video and DVD of this historical concert.
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There are so many things I like about this CD of the huge concert by three of the hottest Arabic singers held in Paris that it's going to take me some time to list them all - I'll just post them as they come to mind over the next few days.
I like the thought of Gail Ann Dorsey (most famous for being Bowie's bass player for most of the last decade) being almost the only woman on stage at this gig with dozens of Arabic musicians doing their thing - while she anchors it all with her great bass playing, as the first couple of tracks demonstrate so well.
I love the buzz from the audience, it really adds to the atmosphere of this CD. They clap along, vocally react to the comings and goings of the stars, the women ululating wildly. It sounds like a complete gas of a gig.
I'm a bit of a sucker for the massed arabic string section combined with the rock drum kit and, as I said before, Gail's big bass sound.
My partner, who has no time for GONG music at all (and I know there are quite a few of you out there in a similar position), loves all this arabic stuff. Rachid's voice certainly does seem have an effect on women.
Steve [Hillage] tells me that this was originally released as a double CD in France before being trimmed down to a single, so I'm presuming, until I hear otherwise that the bonus CD is the trimmed one reinstated.
Octave
"Planet Gong"
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On September 26, 1998, in Paris, France, one of the major events of Algerian music took place - the concert termed "1, 2, 3 Soleils". Together on the same stage Khaled (the king of raï), Rachid Taha (the musical rebel), and Faudel (raï's young prince) entertained a crowd of over 14.000. It was a coming of age for the music and for the Algerians themselves, too long regarded as second-class citizens. The audience's excitement is palpable right from the start, as the orchestra (arranged throughout by former prog rocker Steve Hillage) launches into the instrumental "Khalliouni Khalliounni" to massive cheers that only become louder as the three principals take the stage to share vocal duties on "Menfi". From there it's a series of duets and solos and two more trios in the middle before they come together for three more tunes at the end, culminating in an explosive version of the classic "Ya Rayah" before closing out with "Comme D'Habitude". It's great music that is expansively performed and the album is a commemoration of a moment that's as much historical as musical.
