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 answers total)

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

Best answer: 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

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

Best answer: 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

Best answer: 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

Best answer: 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