Middle-eastern style pop music recommendations

July 24, 2007 10:38 AM

Do recommend me music like Aïcha by Khaled.

I'd like to try some pop music from the middle-east. Just to broaden my taste. But I'd like it to be easy to get into for a mainstream western music sensibility like mine.
Please recommend me some songs/performers.
Instant links like to youtube videoclips are appreciated.

posted by jouke to society & culture (6 comments total)

Last.fm is always good for this. Cheb Mami? Cheb Hasni?
posted by Pants! at 11:01 AM on July 24, 2007

Not in the style of Khaled, but I'm in the Middle East right now and you can't go anywhere without hearing Nancy Ajram.
posted by proj at 11:35 AM on July 24, 2007

A youtube video by Nancy Ajram with english subtitles.
Teenpop it seems.
posted by jouke at 11:58 AM on July 24, 2007

Khaled sings in a genre called Raï. Cheb Mami and Cheb Hasni also sing raï (check out this list for more). Cheb Mami is pretty well known in the West:

- Desert Rose
- Le Rai C'est Chic
- and he's on the Fifth Element soundtrack

You might also like Idir, who has a distinctively North African sound and collaborates with lots of different Western artists. I particularly like his album "Identités".
posted by ourobouros at 3:03 PM on July 24, 2007

What is like Aicha by Khaled..? good question - I love that song. There is a live version on the 1,2,3 Soleils disc set with Rachid Taha and Faudel - you might like them too, and the live song of Aicha on this disc is so good, you can hear everyone in the crowd singing along with them.

There is a Rough Guide to Rai CD available as well, for starting. Also see, for the original sound not made so pop - Cheikha Rimitti (rip).
posted by citron at 4:14 PM on July 24, 2007

I'm a big fan of Souad Massi. Plenty of video clips on youtube.
posted by rom1 at 5:07 AM on July 25, 2007