Rachid Taha
Rachid Taha might be in his 40s, but he's still fueled by anger. His fire is all to evident on his new album, "Made in Medina".
"About music, culture, politics, everything", he said. "It's necessary".
More than necessary, it's perhaps inevitable for someone who grew up amid the French prejudice against Algerians. In the '80s, with his band CARTE DE SÉJOUR (GREEN CARD) he struck a powerful blow with the song "Douce France", an ironic, punkish cover of a patriotic, sentimental favorite.
He straddles a number of worlds. His last album, "Diwân", saw him covering some old North African songs, reverent in feel, but with subtly modern touches by long-time cohort and producer, Steve Hillage, who provides the muscle and guitar work that powers "Made in Medina".
"It's a rock album", Taha announced. "I like rock, I like the feel of it, the feel of punk, and it works well with North African music".
Although Algerian by birth, Taha has never sung raï, although he considers its rhythms to be very similar to rock. Instead, throughout his career, he's fused Western and Arabic elements to create a whole, whether on the dancefloor with "Olé Olé" or through the crunch of the new record. And on that new record, he uses the talents of the all-female B'NET MARRAKECH to provide percussion and backing vocals, weaving a trance-like pattern behind the songs.
"They're very punk", he laughed.
The album also features a duet with Femi Kuti, which on the surface might seem like an odd pairing.
"I know him, and I respect him", explained Taha. "It was a chance for us to make music for the whole of Africa, and beyond".
In many ways, Taha is the consummate outsider - "an outsider of cultures" as he calls himself. To the French, he's an Algerian performer. In North Africa, he's often been seen as a European, a rock'n'roll star rather than someone committed to traditional music (which he loves). But standing outside everything gives him the chance to be an observer, and to do exactly what he wants, without regard for prevailing fashions and customs.
""Made in Medina" isn't really a new direction", he observed. "It's what I've always been doing. The only thing different is the emphasis: "I wanted guitar on it, lots of guitar".
And he got plenty, from power chords to jarring riffs. Recorded in Paris, London and New Orleans, the rhythm section gives a funk, smooth bottom end to the sound, while the mandolute - a decidedly untraditional Arabic instrument - and percussion offer a Maghrebi feel that melds seamlessly with the rock'n'roll to give a modern, global feel. This year might see Taha touring in the U.S. and Canada to follow up on the album's release.
"I don't know yet", he admitted. "I'd like to, but it all depends on what happens. You never know what's going to happen".
