Журнал "Колодец" > Rachid Taha press arhive

ZA@Play - Q&A: Rachid Taha

While Les Bleus and Zinedine Zidane swept all before them at France '98, another Franco-Algerian sensation was sweeping across the nation's dance floors. Rachid Taha's irresistibly seductive "Ya Rayah" was the dance hit of the year and his album "Diwân" went gold. At the end of 1998 Taha performed to a capacity crowd at Bercy Stadium in Paris alongside the king of raï, Khaled, and new teen sensation Faudel. The double CD of the concert, "1, 2, 3 Soleils", sold more than 600.000 copies.

A cult figure with his band CARTE DE SÉJOUR, in the Eighties, Taha went solo in 1990. For those who missed his electrifying Mega Music concert, Taha's new album, "Made In Medina", provides a perfect introduction to his eclectic music.

What have been your musical influences?

I was only 10 when my family emigrated to France, but I remember watching Indian Bollywood films with their great soundtracks in Algeria. My parents used to listen to raï music and Egyptian music so I grew up with that. Oum Kalthoum, she was a favourite. THE BEATLES, particularly the "White Album", were great and I loved punk music, especially THE CLASH. I also enjoyed music like KRAFTWERK and DAF.

Why did you use a very traditional Arabic sound on "Diwân", which is quite different to your other albums?

"Diwân" is a tribute to Arabic music. It's a restoration of the old classics. I took very traditional songs and tidied them up a bit, cleaned them, that's all. I wanted to share these songs that are so deeply rooted in my culture. I was simply being like a librarian and making this culture more widely known.

British rock guitarist Steve Hillage, who is now a leading light in the techno scene, produced "Made In Medina". How did that come about?

We've been working together for 18 years now. He used to go to Paris often and in 1983 he was visiting a record company when he heard somebody playing CARTE DE SÉJOUR's first EP. He liked it and got in touch with us and he produced "Rhorhomanie", our first album. When I went solo we continued working together. Most people think it was Steve who influenced me with techno music but it was actually the other way round.

How did Femi Kuti come to work on "Made In Medina"?

World music is a cliche. I don't like this term, but Fela Kuti was somebody who stood out in the world music scene. He was doing something different and I really wanted to work with him, but unfortunately it was not possible because he died before we could make it happen. His son Femi and I have the same manager and know each other very well so it was easy to ask him to sing on the album.

You collaborated with Carlos Santana on "Supernatural", his Grammy award-winning album. How did that happen?

He sent me a fax one day asking permission to use my song "Kelma" from the "Olé Olé" album. He changed the lyrics and called it "Migra". To be honest I'm not really a fan of Santana. THE RAMONES, now there's a good American band.

Julian Drew
"Mail & Guardian Online: Africa's first online newspaper", April 20, 2001

   
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