Comments on: Middle-eastern style pop music recommendations

Question: Middle-eastern style pop music recommendations

jouke — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:38:48 -0800

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.

By: Pants!

Pants! — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:01:00 -0800

Last.fm is always good for this. Cheb Mami? Cheb Hasni?

By: proj

proj — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:35:35 -0800

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.

By: jouke

jouke — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:58:22 -0800

A youtube video by Nancy Ajram with english subtitles.
Teenpop it seems.

By: ourobouros

ourobouros — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:03:56 -0800

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".

By: citron

citron — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:14:38 -0800

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).

By: rom1

rom1 — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 05:07:11 -0800

I'm a big fan of Souad Massi. Plenty of video clips on youtube.