Thursday, August 13, 2009
The relevancy of Hasni today
I think its amazing how incredibly popular that Hasni remains. He remains important even to this day... In any given moment you can still hear him played in cars and restaurants across Algeria,Morocco and Tunisia as well as in the foreign homes of people outside their homeland...
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Andy Kershaw in Oran Algeria for BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/onlocation/algeria2006.shtml
This is amazing and a radio broadcast from Andy Kershaw done 3 years ago,live in Oran, Algeria
This is amazing and a radio broadcast from Andy Kershaw done 3 years ago,live in Oran, Algeria
FROM RFI MUSIC OCTOBER 2004
Cheb Hasni's cold-blooded murder had been preceded a few days earlier by the kidnapping of Kabylian singing star, Lounès Matoub. Matoub was abducted by a commando from the GIA (the "Groupe islamique armé.") The singer was released on 18 October 1994, only to be gunned down by terrorists in June 1998. Up until this point, despite the chaos gripping Algeria and the number of victims rising on a daily basis, people believed their music heroes were untouchable. It was as if their popularity acted as "a sort of invisible shield," wrote journalist Rabah Mezouane in the wake of Cheb Hasni's death. Nevertheless, this shield failed to protect Hasni from his fate. He was the first singer to be murdered on Algerian soil since fighting broke out between government forces and armed Islamic groups.
Several thousand people from across the Oran region turned out to join the funeral procession which accompanied Hasni's coffin to its final resting-place in the Aïn-el-Beida cemetery. Meanwhile, hundreds of young Raï fans took to the streets, angrily chanting slogans and calling for "a free and democratic Algeria." Khaled, the best-known Raï star on the international scene, admitted he was "completely traumatised" by the crime, which remained all the more inexplicable for him as Cheb Hasni had "never been mixed up in politics. He was just a kid from my neighbourhood. We grew up together and ended up singing together in Oran eight or nine years ago and in Paris just six months ago."
Like many other Raï artists based in Algeria, Cheb Hasni spent more of his time performing abroad (giving concerts everywhere from Paris, Marseilles and Boston to Tunis, Casablanca and Tokyo) than at home. But this was hardly surprising given the curfew restrictions in force in Algeria at that time. Hasni’s last concert on his home soil dated back to 5 July 1993, when he performed to an audience of over 150,000 fans in Algiers at an event organised to celebrate Algerian Independence. Hasni was a prolific artist, far and away the most prolific on the Raï scene, in fact. He recorded some 100 cassettes in his lifetime and there was a longstanding joke in Barbès (a multi-ethnic neighbourhood of Paris). When anyone went into a Barbès record store, asking for Hasni's latest cassette, the salesman would quip, "Which one? The one he put out this morning or this afternoon?" Hasni's abundant production was on a level with his popularity and, needless to say, his distinctive "Raï love" style soon provoked a wave of imitators, notably Cheb Nasro who launched his career in 1988 with the hit "Pour te faire plaisir."
Hasni Chekroun was born on 1 February 1968 in Gambetta, a working-class suburb in the north-east of Oran. Son of a welder, he grew up in a modest family where he was one of seven children. The future Raï star began singing at an early age. In an interview published in French newspaper Libération in 1992 (and used in the book "L’aventure du raï – Musique et société", co-written by Bouziane Daoudi and Hadj Miliani and published by Les Editions du Seuil), Hasni recounted how "everyone knew me in our neighbourhood when I was a kid. I was always walking up the road with my school bag thrown off my shoulder, singing my head off." Hasni proved to be a talented young football player, too, but his motivating passion in life was neither school nor football, it was Raï. Hasni got his first big break as a singer when he attended a local wedding party where the group led by the famous Naoui brothers was playing. Impressed by the young prodigy's voice, they immediately invited him to perform on stage at a well-known cabaret, La Guinguette.
Hasni's second lucky break came shortly afterwards when a producer asked him into the studio to record with Chaba Zahouania. The pair recorded a song that was so risqué it sent shockwaves coursing through Algerian society for months to come. The lyrics to "Beraka" (The Shack) went beyond the bounds of the daring, Hasni singing about "making love in a dirty old shack. I had her ... because when you're drunk that's the sort of idea that runs through your head!" The song caused a veritable scandal – and proved an instant hit with Algerian teenagers! In fact, it went on to become the big summer hit of 1987, catapulting young Hasni to overnight fame. Needless to say, the arrogance and insolence of the song had critics up in arms. "After all, they had already found enough cause for concern in the "outrageous" Raï songs recorded by the likes of Khaled, Fadela, Saharaoui and Benchenet which dealt with taboo subjects such as divorcées, young widows and adultery). Islamic fundamentalists went so far as to force record store owners to turn down the volume when they played "Beraka", so that the outrageous lyrics would not be heard in the street.
Unofficial estimates put the sales of "Beraka" at a million. Whether these figures are correct or not, there's no doubt that Hasni launched his career on the back of the song, establishing himself as the leader of a new style which fans dubbed "Raï love". Despite its name, Raï love was not just a genre which revolved around erotic love songs. Hasni's work also dealt with the frustrations and preoccupations of an entire generation, tackling taboo subjects such as sex and alcohol. In "El Visa", for instance, Hasni sang, "I was going to go and see my baby / But you’ve taken my visa / You want to kill me! / I'm gonna drink myself stupid and smash everything." The cassette copy of "El Visa" proved a huge hit in 1992, selling over 250,000 copies within a few days of its release.
Back in those days, Hasni even found favour with the fundamentalists who complimented him on his voice and suggested he should become a muezzinsaying, "People love you. If they see you praying, then they'll come to the mosque, too." Hasni turned a deaf ear to these proposals, just as he later ignored the death threats. And even though his manager urged him to leave Oran (and he possessed a residence permit for France, where he had a wife and child), Hasni refused to leave his hometown. He met his death there on 29 September 1994. The following year, on 15 February 1995, producer Rachid Baba-Ahmed, another leading figure in the Raï world, was assassinated in Oran.
October 2004
Several thousand people from across the Oran region turned out to join the funeral procession which accompanied Hasni's coffin to its final resting-place in the Aïn-el-Beida cemetery. Meanwhile, hundreds of young Raï fans took to the streets, angrily chanting slogans and calling for "a free and democratic Algeria." Khaled, the best-known Raï star on the international scene, admitted he was "completely traumatised" by the crime, which remained all the more inexplicable for him as Cheb Hasni had "never been mixed up in politics. He was just a kid from my neighbourhood. We grew up together and ended up singing together in Oran eight or nine years ago and in Paris just six months ago."
Like many other Raï artists based in Algeria, Cheb Hasni spent more of his time performing abroad (giving concerts everywhere from Paris, Marseilles and Boston to Tunis, Casablanca and Tokyo) than at home. But this was hardly surprising given the curfew restrictions in force in Algeria at that time. Hasni’s last concert on his home soil dated back to 5 July 1993, when he performed to an audience of over 150,000 fans in Algiers at an event organised to celebrate Algerian Independence. Hasni was a prolific artist, far and away the most prolific on the Raï scene, in fact. He recorded some 100 cassettes in his lifetime and there was a longstanding joke in Barbès (a multi-ethnic neighbourhood of Paris). When anyone went into a Barbès record store, asking for Hasni's latest cassette, the salesman would quip, "Which one? The one he put out this morning or this afternoon?" Hasni's abundant production was on a level with his popularity and, needless to say, his distinctive "Raï love" style soon provoked a wave of imitators, notably Cheb Nasro who launched his career in 1988 with the hit "Pour te faire plaisir."
Hasni Chekroun was born on 1 February 1968 in Gambetta, a working-class suburb in the north-east of Oran. Son of a welder, he grew up in a modest family where he was one of seven children. The future Raï star began singing at an early age. In an interview published in French newspaper Libération in 1992 (and used in the book "L’aventure du raï – Musique et société", co-written by Bouziane Daoudi and Hadj Miliani and published by Les Editions du Seuil), Hasni recounted how "everyone knew me in our neighbourhood when I was a kid. I was always walking up the road with my school bag thrown off my shoulder, singing my head off." Hasni proved to be a talented young football player, too, but his motivating passion in life was neither school nor football, it was Raï. Hasni got his first big break as a singer when he attended a local wedding party where the group led by the famous Naoui brothers was playing. Impressed by the young prodigy's voice, they immediately invited him to perform on stage at a well-known cabaret, La Guinguette.
Hasni's second lucky break came shortly afterwards when a producer asked him into the studio to record with Chaba Zahouania. The pair recorded a song that was so risqué it sent shockwaves coursing through Algerian society for months to come. The lyrics to "Beraka" (The Shack) went beyond the bounds of the daring, Hasni singing about "making love in a dirty old shack. I had her ... because when you're drunk that's the sort of idea that runs through your head!" The song caused a veritable scandal – and proved an instant hit with Algerian teenagers! In fact, it went on to become the big summer hit of 1987, catapulting young Hasni to overnight fame. Needless to say, the arrogance and insolence of the song had critics up in arms. "After all, they had already found enough cause for concern in the "outrageous" Raï songs recorded by the likes of Khaled, Fadela, Saharaoui and Benchenet which dealt with taboo subjects such as divorcées, young widows and adultery). Islamic fundamentalists went so far as to force record store owners to turn down the volume when they played "Beraka", so that the outrageous lyrics would not be heard in the street.
Unofficial estimates put the sales of "Beraka" at a million. Whether these figures are correct or not, there's no doubt that Hasni launched his career on the back of the song, establishing himself as the leader of a new style which fans dubbed "Raï love". Despite its name, Raï love was not just a genre which revolved around erotic love songs. Hasni's work also dealt with the frustrations and preoccupations of an entire generation, tackling taboo subjects such as sex and alcohol. In "El Visa", for instance, Hasni sang, "I was going to go and see my baby / But you’ve taken my visa / You want to kill me! / I'm gonna drink myself stupid and smash everything." The cassette copy of "El Visa" proved a huge hit in 1992, selling over 250,000 copies within a few days of its release.
Back in those days, Hasni even found favour with the fundamentalists who complimented him on his voice and suggested he should become a muezzinsaying, "People love you. If they see you praying, then they'll come to the mosque, too." Hasni turned a deaf ear to these proposals, just as he later ignored the death threats. And even though his manager urged him to leave Oran (and he possessed a residence permit for France, where he had a wife and child), Hasni refused to leave his hometown. He met his death there on 29 September 1994. The following year, on 15 February 1995, producer Rachid Baba-Ahmed, another leading figure in the Raï world, was assassinated in Oran.
October 2004
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Books about RAI music for University Level Research and Projects
About the Author
Stephen Duncombe teaches the history and politics of media and culture at the Gallatin School of New York University. He is the author of Notes from Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture, as well as a life-long political activist, most recently working with the Lower East Side Collective and Reclaim the Streets/New York City.
Marc Schade-Poulsen
Executive Director of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network
Marc Schade-Poulsen is, since 1998, Executive Director of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN). Before joining the EMHRN, he worked as a coordinator at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, researcher at the Danish Centre for Development Research, researcher at the University of Copenhagen and lecturer at the Copenhagen Business School.
Marc Schade-Poulsen holds an MA and Ph.D in Anthropology and has lectured, researched and published on issues related to Islamism, popular culture, migration, youth and human rights in the Mediterranean as well as on the Barcelona process.
What is extremely interesting about this last author is he actually wrote this book before Hasni died.
What subjects did Hasni sing about and were they based on real life?
Hasni sang about getting a visa, getting married, being in love, divorce, women who were not exactly nice, family, losing someone you love. Hasni told stories in his song and for people who could not easily talk about things, Hasni was a way to convey emotion. Just by playing a Hasni song, you could convey to someone that you loved them, you could relax. Hasni is still a way for people to express their feelings because his songs are so emotional. They often dealth with his own divorce and the loves of his life. I think this is why Hasni's songs are so immortal
Did Hasni ever visit the USA
Yes he did. He actually took alot of pictures together with friends here he met along the way . I am looking for a photograph of him with a police car that I saw...but I cannot find it
Where did Hasni perform in Oran Algeria
Hasni performed at weddings, concert halls and at outdoor concerts and cabarets and then when he left Oran,he performed at lots of different outside venues.
But there is one place Hasni performed that it very famous. It is called LA GUINGETTE and still exists today
Here is a video of the cabaret LA GUINGETTE. Please disable the jukebox on the side of my blog by pushing the stop button.
Cabarets in Oran are not exactly like discos in the USA.Its mostly a male based crowd and a place to meet male friends. Most women from Algeria do not go to cabarets because its really a party crowd and alot of the women who go to the cabarets are actually kind of on the fringes of society. They are primarily NOT family based or relationship based places. its a place for a guy to hang out and meet well lets say, um women to have fun with for a price.Its very hard for most western women to understand the cabaret concept because in the USA and in the west,nightlife is much more equitable and you are not exactly judged because you went to club. Cabaret life is not for the average family girl and most of the time if you end up there as a female, you are either prostituting or a merioula which means a girl with kind of low standards of where you hang out and not exactly the marrying type. Is it fair? From a western standpoing, completely unfair because men can easily go. But what if you are a female who likes listening to rai? You can go to a wedding or outside event. They even have womens only events. But a cabaret? NO.Not unless you wanted to be branded with a label or talked badly about.
There are some nightlife places like SUNHOUSE and the SHERATON ORAN and DJAOUHARA that are owned by Cheba Kheira and yes the last one is a cabaret but some Algerians who live outside freely go to them but its awfully hard to take your wife to a place where prostitution is going on, no matter how discreet.
One of the many mysteries to western people because we just really do not have an equivolent is really the cabaret. Its hard to really explain the concept to most Americans because if you are American and want to listen to a singer, you as a woman are not branded as loose for going there. Fair. From most western womens standpoint, I completely do not think so. Most any woman who liked rai if she saw a performer perform outside could go anywhere they want.
But there is one place Hasni performed that it very famous. It is called LA GUINGETTE and still exists today
Here is a video of the cabaret LA GUINGETTE. Please disable the jukebox on the side of my blog by pushing the stop button.
Cabarets in Oran are not exactly like discos in the USA.Its mostly a male based crowd and a place to meet male friends. Most women from Algeria do not go to cabarets because its really a party crowd and alot of the women who go to the cabarets are actually kind of on the fringes of society. They are primarily NOT family based or relationship based places. its a place for a guy to hang out and meet well lets say, um women to have fun with for a price.Its very hard for most western women to understand the cabaret concept because in the USA and in the west,nightlife is much more equitable and you are not exactly judged because you went to club. Cabaret life is not for the average family girl and most of the time if you end up there as a female, you are either prostituting or a merioula which means a girl with kind of low standards of where you hang out and not exactly the marrying type. Is it fair? From a western standpoing, completely unfair because men can easily go. But what if you are a female who likes listening to rai? You can go to a wedding or outside event. They even have womens only events. But a cabaret? NO.Not unless you wanted to be branded with a label or talked badly about.
There are some nightlife places like SUNHOUSE and the SHERATON ORAN and DJAOUHARA that are owned by Cheba Kheira and yes the last one is a cabaret but some Algerians who live outside freely go to them but its awfully hard to take your wife to a place where prostitution is going on, no matter how discreet.
One of the many mysteries to western people because we just really do not have an equivolent is really the cabaret. Its hard to really explain the concept to most Americans because if you are American and want to listen to a singer, you as a woman are not branded as loose for going there. Fair. From most western womens standpoint, I completely do not think so. Most any woman who liked rai if she saw a performer perform outside could go anywhere they want.
RACHID or RASHID BABA AHMED
One of the biggest producers of RAI, the person who actually added electronica to RAI and was really the first big producer of RAI was gunned down in the middle of the 1990s during the Algerian Civil War. He was Rachid Baba Ahmed. He produced Cheba Fadela and Saharawi and Khaled and Hasni and a slew of other rai singers. He had an amazing studio at the time in Tlemcen, Algeria
This was actually one of the I ever owned . I had no idea that Rachid Baba Ahmed produced it until years later. Please disable the juke box on the zide bar to be able to watch
part 2...please disable the jukebox on the side
Cheb Anouar,also produced by Rachid Baba Ahmed
FROM WIKIPEDIA about Rashid Baba Ahmed
Rachid Baba Ahmed was an Algerian musical producer involved in a regional genre called raï. He was credited with the international popularization of the genre in 1976 through the new pop raï with a delicate, sophisticated blend of electronic instrumentation. He was also credited with the development of pop raï during the 1970s and 1980s,1 the performers of which are called cheb or chaba. He was murdered by Islamic fundamentalists on February 15, 1995.
Rachid Baba, the producer of the album Rai Rebels and many other acclaimed titles released in the United States and elsewhere, explained without a hint of irony that, “In the beginning, I let chab sing the words as he wanted. Now I pay attention. When he sings a vulgarity, I say stop. If he doesn’t obey, I cut it during the mixing.”[1] Baba is putting a new spin on rai music. He is realizing the need to spread his artists' words to a larger audience and is doing so through editing and in some ways censoring his lyrics to make them appropriate for everyone in the Franco-Maghrebi area. Baba helped many young and upcoming artists such as Cheba Fadela and Chev Sahraoui. Ahmed’s modern 24-track studio in Tlemcen was the powerhouse that produced Algerian pop-raï.[2]
MP3 Hasni Listening Station and Buying RAI
I wanted to create some web based safe listening stations so that someone stateside could easily buy rai online. With amazon and my link you do not have to subscribe to anything.
Here is a widget to be able to listen to some hasni mp3s
Here is a widget to be able to listen to some hasni mp3s
Monday, June 8, 2009
Where can I get immediate downloads of Algerian RAI
I have some links to cds but actually I personally get all my RAI from the service below. I pay a flat fee per month and I have access to the unlimited HASNI catalog, far surpassing any of the other online music services. Why does this service have so much Algerian music? Thats because one of the biggest music stores in Algeria, SOLI CADIC was one of the first overseas companies based in Algeria to sign with an outside company. The chose this company, hence most RAI is actually hosted on the below site
Cheb Nasro and Cheb Hasni
Cheb Nasro
The only rai artist signed with an American label, Miles Copeland's ARK21/Mondo Melodia, Cheb Nasro may be rai's most prolific performer. With more than 130 albums to his credit, Nasro has recorded such hits including "Ndirek Amour" (I Choose You, My Love), "Ma Rkhalinich" (Don't Leave Me), and "Enfin, Enfin" (Finally, Finally). Raised in the western Algerian town of Oran, Nasro grew up in post-revolutionary Algeria, free from the oppression of French colonialism. His first foray into music came, at the age of two, when his uncle bought him a drabouka (traditional drum). As a youngster, he often accompanied Cheb Zahounie at wedding receptions. Making his solo debut, at the age of 17, at a local club, Nasro received a standing ovation and was invited to perform daily, from 3 a.m. until 4 a.m., at the club. Within a year, he had recorded his debut album and had begun performing throughout Europe. Despite their competition, Nasro and Cheb Hasni became... Read More
The only rai artist signed with an American label, Miles Copeland's ARK21/Mondo Melodia, Cheb Nasro may be rai's most prolific performer. With more than 130 albums to his credit, Nasro has recorded such hits including "Ndirek Amour" (I Choose You, My Love), "Ma Rkhalinich" (Don't Leave Me), and "Enfin, Enfin" (Finally, Finally). Raised in the western Algerian town of Oran, Nasro grew up in post-revolutionary Algeria, free from the oppression of French colonialism. His first foray into music came, at the age of two, when his uncle bought him a drabouka (traditional drum). As a youngster, he often accompanied Cheb Zahounie at wedding receptions. Making his solo debut, at the age of 17, at a local club, Nasro received a standing ovation and was invited to perform daily, from 3 a.m. until 4 a.m., at the club. Within a year, he had recorded his debut album and had begun performing throughout Europe. Despite their competition, Nasro and Cheb Hasni became close friends. The hope of Nasro's early career began to fade after the tragic murder of Cheb Hasni on September 29, 1994. While many rai artists emigrated to Europe or North America, he was one of the few to continue singing in his homeland. He later recalled, "I became very skinny from worry and moved around a lot." ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Cheb Nasro and Cheb Hasni were great friends and shared the same friends and venues and travelled to Europe. Hasni lost his life to murder and Nasro travelled to the USA and never returned to Algeria as of yet.
The only rai artist signed with an American label, Miles Copeland's ARK21/Mondo Melodia, Cheb Nasro may be rai's most prolific performer. With more than 130 albums to his credit, Nasro has recorded such hits including "Ndirek Amour" (I Choose You, My Love), "Ma Rkhalinich" (Don't Leave Me), and "Enfin, Enfin" (Finally, Finally). Raised in the western Algerian town of Oran, Nasro grew up in post-revolutionary Algeria, free from the oppression of French colonialism. His first foray into music came, at the age of two, when his uncle bought him a drabouka (traditional drum). As a youngster, he often accompanied Cheb Zahounie at wedding receptions. Making his solo debut, at the age of 17, at a local club, Nasro received a standing ovation and was invited to perform daily, from 3 a.m. until 4 a.m., at the club. Within a year, he had recorded his debut album and had begun performing throughout Europe. Despite their competition, Nasro and Cheb Hasni became... Read More
The only rai artist signed with an American label, Miles Copeland's ARK21/Mondo Melodia, Cheb Nasro may be rai's most prolific performer. With more than 130 albums to his credit, Nasro has recorded such hits including "Ndirek Amour" (I Choose You, My Love), "Ma Rkhalinich" (Don't Leave Me), and "Enfin, Enfin" (Finally, Finally). Raised in the western Algerian town of Oran, Nasro grew up in post-revolutionary Algeria, free from the oppression of French colonialism. His first foray into music came, at the age of two, when his uncle bought him a drabouka (traditional drum). As a youngster, he often accompanied Cheb Zahounie at wedding receptions. Making his solo debut, at the age of 17, at a local club, Nasro received a standing ovation and was invited to perform daily, from 3 a.m. until 4 a.m., at the club. Within a year, he had recorded his debut album and had begun performing throughout Europe. Despite their competition, Nasro and Cheb Hasni became close friends. The hope of Nasro's early career began to fade after the tragic murder of Cheb Hasni on September 29, 1994. While many rai artists emigrated to Europe or North America, he was one of the few to continue singing in his homeland. He later recalled, "I became very skinny from worry and moved around a lot." ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Cheb Nasro and Cheb Hasni were great friends and shared the same friends and venues and travelled to Europe. Hasni lost his life to murder and Nasro travelled to the USA and never returned to Algeria as of yet.
Why does Algerian Rai sound so different than the Rai of other North African Countries?
The secret is in the SYNTHESIZER. Many of the synthesisers used in Hasni's songs are very old and were old even when he recorded...
TOP SECRET TIP FROM ONE OF THE BIGGEST PRODUCERS OF RAI IN ORAN TODAY
Many producers are buying discs from the west of 1980's sounds and 1970's sounds and are putting them in the new machines. Why can't other countries do the Oran sound? Their equipment is too new and they have not figured out how to program their newer synths with old programming code, hence ending up with a completely modern sound that cannot equal old time rai.
Here is an article about the sampling discs being created
SoundEngine.com have announced the availability of the follow-up to its SoundEngine Volume #1 sample CDROM in Akai format - SoundEngine Volume #2: Vintage Analog and Digital Synths.
SoundEngine Volume 2 contains over 600 programs containing multi-samples collected from the company’s arsenal of vintage Analog and Digital synthesizers. These include the Peavey DPM series, Peavey Spectrum Bass, Peavey Spectrum Synth, Ensoniq FiZmO, Yamaha FS1r, Emu Vintage Keys, Kawai K5000, Kawai K3m, Kawai K1m, Oberheim Xpander, Oberheim, Matrix 1000, Roland D-50, Ensoniq ESQ-1, Yamaha TX81z, ARP Odyssey, Korg DVP-1, Korg EX800, and more.
Scott C. Peer, President, SoundEngine.com. told us, "These sounds were painstakingly created using stacks of these synthesizers, occasionally processed through our racks of vintage processing gear, looped using InfinityT Looping Tools, and then mapped on the S1000. Preset variations were created to maximize the possibilities of each multi-sample. We've collected Basses, Pads, Leads, Glitches, Vocal FX, Digital and Analog Keyboards, and more."
The secret of Orani rai is the sound of the keyboard. If it is not vintage, you can make it that way with sampling old keyboard sounds
Here are some sampling discs on AMAZON. You can click on them and each one is for a different type of system.
TOP SECRET TIP FROM ONE OF THE BIGGEST PRODUCERS OF RAI IN ORAN TODAY
Many producers are buying discs from the west of 1980's sounds and 1970's sounds and are putting them in the new machines. Why can't other countries do the Oran sound? Their equipment is too new and they have not figured out how to program their newer synths with old programming code, hence ending up with a completely modern sound that cannot equal old time rai.
Here is an article about the sampling discs being created
SoundEngine.com have announced the availability of the follow-up to its SoundEngine Volume #1 sample CDROM in Akai format - SoundEngine Volume #2: Vintage Analog and Digital Synths.
SoundEngine Volume 2 contains over 600 programs containing multi-samples collected from the company’s arsenal of vintage Analog and Digital synthesizers. These include the Peavey DPM series, Peavey Spectrum Bass, Peavey Spectrum Synth, Ensoniq FiZmO, Yamaha FS1r, Emu Vintage Keys, Kawai K5000, Kawai K3m, Kawai K1m, Oberheim Xpander, Oberheim, Matrix 1000, Roland D-50, Ensoniq ESQ-1, Yamaha TX81z, ARP Odyssey, Korg DVP-1, Korg EX800, and more.
Scott C. Peer, President, SoundEngine.com. told us, "These sounds were painstakingly created using stacks of these synthesizers, occasionally processed through our racks of vintage processing gear, looped using InfinityT Looping Tools, and then mapped on the S1000. Preset variations were created to maximize the possibilities of each multi-sample. We've collected Basses, Pads, Leads, Glitches, Vocal FX, Digital and Analog Keyboards, and more."
The secret of Orani rai is the sound of the keyboard. If it is not vintage, you can make it that way with sampling old keyboard sounds
Here are some sampling discs on AMAZON. You can click on them and each one is for a different type of system.
How many tapes did Hasni make?
They could number in the hundreds, one producer currently working with Houari Dauphin says that he wrote 300 . Hasni wrote some of his songs, but many were written by various people still living in Oran today. A tape could come out weekly and at that time, Hasni could go into a studio and put down 8, 9 or 10 tracks. Each recording could be made by a different producer or writer... there are so many labels in Oran. At the time Hasni was recording, it could be EDITION SANTANA or a various number of other labels. Rachid Baba Ahmed was a producer of Rai but many people had a hand in Hasni's music. There was not just one person who wrote Hasni's songs, there were many and each contributed to the varying styles of the resulting songs. A studio could be the front room of a house in Centraville with a makeshift glass cabinet or as elaborate as a well stocked studio with a wealthy Orani backing it. Each song has a story and Oranis can often tell you the story behind each song
Cheb Hasni's Neighborhood
I never knew what Cheb Hasni's Neighborhood looked like and so when I went there I wanted to make sure that I took some pictures to show Hasni fans what it looks like when you walk around there
Men and Popular Music in Algeria...One of the most significant works on the RAI genre ever written
One of the books that I bought before I travelled to Oran was this one. It talks about Oran, the social life there, the history of RAI and actually gives you an English translation of lyrics of rai songs so you can better understand them and understand the social and emotional conotations behind them.
Here is a link to AMAZON to be able to get the book. This will be a brand new copy. This will be your essential guide to understanding Hasni's world.
I found a link to a used copy that is a lot less expensive than Amazon.
This book is actually used as a text book for several music classes taught at major universities across the US.
This is an actual excerpt from the bookWahrani (Oran music) is associated with the music developed in the city centers of Orania, mainly Oran, from the mid-1930s through the flourishing period of the 1950s. Broadly speaking, the wahrani is an adaptation of the malhun to city instruments (such as the 'uud, the accordion, the banjo, the piano, etc.), to the melody and rhythm of the Oran area, and to a tone universe relating to the mass-produced music of the Arab world and to Spanish, French, and even Latin American songs. It has provided present-day raï with a repertoire of instrumental sounds, melodic patterns, and combinations of rhythm. However, raï must not be confused with wahrani. Raï musicians do not possess the same finesse of musical approach as is found in the wahrani, and the poetical ideas are not nearly as elaborate. On the other hand, electric raï has adopted and recorded wahrani songs and given new texts to wahrani tunes, while composers of wahrani have created songs for raï singers.
This brief overview of the main elements in raï shows that this musical genre does not have clearly demarcated lines. When I was in Oran, however, people frequently referred to the first records after independence on which the "spontaneous" form of raï was adapted to the instrumentation of the cityas the beginning of raï. The best known was a 1965 recording by a twelve-year-old, Bouteldja Belkacem, of two songs by Cheikha Ouashma: "Ziziya" (Ziziya told me to have a party at her place tonight, Ziziya told me to spend the night with her) and "Sidi l-hakim" (Mister judge, where are they taking me?). So there are considered to be definite origins.
One important early raï musician was Bellemou, a trumpet player who before independence played in the local marching band of Ain Temouchent. After 1962, he expanded his repertoire by combining trumpet and saxophone with local percussion instruments, thus replacing reed flutes with brass; he performed at events such as football matches and wedding processions. A third notable development took place in the raï groups of Sidi Bel Abbes, who replaced reed flutes with the electric guitar and the wah-wah pedal. The earliest name associated with this genre is Mohammed Zargui, who died in 1981.
At the end of the 1970s, the key instrument of raï in Oran was the accordion. Western music, Hindi film music, and Moroccan music (such as Nass el Ghiwane and Jil Jillala) were popular. A great number of musicians were also versed in the popular songs of the area. They would meet with musicians like the Nawi brothers, the Qada brothers, Mokhtar the drummer, and later Hocine the keyboard player, who were all playing Western pop and rock, and they became among the first to introduce electric instruments to raï. Violinists like Kouider Berkane and Abdallah Rerbal and the drabki player Hocine, on the other hand, contributed to maintaining continuity with wahrani music.
Another important musician was Mohammed Maghni, one of the few in raï to have formal musical traïning and practical experience as a keyboard player in the pop group the Students. He created new arrangements in raï -- with feel-ins and riffs from rock, disco, and sometimes jazz -- within the Oranian style of phrasing. The best known "electric" musicians, however, were Rachid and Fethi, the Baba brothers, lovers of Western pop and music technology (with some ability to invest), who were the first to introduce the complete synthesizer and drum-machine sound into raï in 1982. Later, they invested money in the best multi-track studio and recording facilities in North Africa and were clever enough to employ traïned musicians like Ben Ali and Samir.
After I travelled to Oran, I saw the very things he talked about in his book. Its really a wonderful read and it will give insight even to North Africans because it really reveals the hidden life of Oranis.
Here is a link to AMAZON to be able to get the book. This will be a brand new copy. This will be your essential guide to understanding Hasni's world.
I found a link to a used copy that is a lot less expensive than Amazon.
This book is actually used as a text book for several music classes taught at major universities across the US.
This is an actual excerpt from the bookWahrani (Oran music) is associated with the music developed in the city centers of Orania, mainly Oran, from the mid-1930s through the flourishing period of the 1950s. Broadly speaking, the wahrani is an adaptation of the malhun to city instruments (such as the 'uud, the accordion, the banjo, the piano, etc.), to the melody and rhythm of the Oran area, and to a tone universe relating to the mass-produced music of the Arab world and to Spanish, French, and even Latin American songs. It has provided present-day raï with a repertoire of instrumental sounds, melodic patterns, and combinations of rhythm. However, raï must not be confused with wahrani. Raï musicians do not possess the same finesse of musical approach as is found in the wahrani, and the poetical ideas are not nearly as elaborate. On the other hand, electric raï has adopted and recorded wahrani songs and given new texts to wahrani tunes, while composers of wahrani have created songs for raï singers.
This brief overview of the main elements in raï shows that this musical genre does not have clearly demarcated lines. When I was in Oran, however, people frequently referred to the first records after independence on which the "spontaneous" form of raï was adapted to the instrumentation of the cityas the beginning of raï. The best known was a 1965 recording by a twelve-year-old, Bouteldja Belkacem, of two songs by Cheikha Ouashma: "Ziziya" (Ziziya told me to have a party at her place tonight, Ziziya told me to spend the night with her) and "Sidi l-hakim" (Mister judge, where are they taking me?). So there are considered to be definite origins.
One important early raï musician was Bellemou, a trumpet player who before independence played in the local marching band of Ain Temouchent. After 1962, he expanded his repertoire by combining trumpet and saxophone with local percussion instruments, thus replacing reed flutes with brass; he performed at events such as football matches and wedding processions. A third notable development took place in the raï groups of Sidi Bel Abbes, who replaced reed flutes with the electric guitar and the wah-wah pedal. The earliest name associated with this genre is Mohammed Zargui, who died in 1981.
At the end of the 1970s, the key instrument of raï in Oran was the accordion. Western music, Hindi film music, and Moroccan music (such as Nass el Ghiwane and Jil Jillala) were popular. A great number of musicians were also versed in the popular songs of the area. They would meet with musicians like the Nawi brothers, the Qada brothers, Mokhtar the drummer, and later Hocine the keyboard player, who were all playing Western pop and rock, and they became among the first to introduce electric instruments to raï. Violinists like Kouider Berkane and Abdallah Rerbal and the drabki player Hocine, on the other hand, contributed to maintaining continuity with wahrani music.
Another important musician was Mohammed Maghni, one of the few in raï to have formal musical traïning and practical experience as a keyboard player in the pop group the Students. He created new arrangements in raï -- with feel-ins and riffs from rock, disco, and sometimes jazz -- within the Oranian style of phrasing. The best known "electric" musicians, however, were Rachid and Fethi, the Baba brothers, lovers of Western pop and music technology (with some ability to invest), who were the first to introduce the complete synthesizer and drum-machine sound into raï in 1982. Later, they invested money in the best multi-track studio and recording facilities in North Africa and were clever enough to employ traïned musicians like Ben Ali and Samir.
After I travelled to Oran, I saw the very things he talked about in his book. Its really a wonderful read and it will give insight even to North Africans because it really reveals the hidden life of Oranis.
I dreamed a dream of Oran Algeria
After about 5 years of listening to RAI music and writing BIG MAHBOULA and actually meeting Cheb Nasro and seeing Cheb Khaled live, I got this hairbrained idea that I wanted to go to Oran. I had absolutely no money. I had an IRA. In September, I informed my mother that I was cashing in my retirement account and buying a ticket to Oran, Algeria and that I would meet all the rai singers and walk where Hasni walked.
Ok, 3 years later,lots of happy things and very sad things under the bridge, I actually got it together enough to build an English Hasni site. It was RAI that brought me to Algeria even though sometimes I try to forget what brough me there. I met RAINA RAI, Lofti Attar in Oran on one of my trips in December 2007. I have so many happy memories. Seeing Cheb Hindi walking around. Meeting Cheba Djenet. Seeing Cheb Redouane,Cheb Hassan and Kader in person. Seeing the Hadef hotel where Hasni played.
This year I lost my little boy. All my life turned upseide down because I loved him so much. He was very small and it was the most awful and tragic thing that ever happened to me. I still have not really recovered from his death. I want my laugh to come back. I want RAI to play and to sway in the breeze listening to it. I want to smile again. I am trying. Thats why I am starting this HASNI blog in English. Because I am dying inside from the death of my baby and I am sick mentally and I need to get my mind off the pain... Thats what RAI does, it helps you both remember and forget and it tells stories. I have travelled now to Algeria 3 times and I have 2 books on the market about Algeria and a youtube channel highlighting Algerian music anc culture. Dream the dream with me... if you are American or English reading this blog, I will help you understand RAI and who Hasni was so you will better understand the Algerian you know who loves them. Moroccans and Tunisians love Hasni as well because he was their brother and Hasni tells their stories as well. Remember, Oran borders the frontier of Morocco and there is a town there that Hasni visited called OUJDA that has its own brand of RAI. Sidi bel abbess, home to Rachid Baba Ahmed, a producer of RAI murdered in the mid 90s for producing rai and also home to RAINA RAI, Algeria's answer to Santana and Hendrix and everyone in between. Hasni's story is a sad and tragic one ...but he was and remains loved and his music is the soundtrack to many North Africans lives....Dream a dream of Oran with me, a crazy American who fell in love with RAI and then met Algeria along the way. I am suffering inside from the death of my son but I remember so many happy days and I want to be back there again. That is why I am reaching for my favorite music, to take me back.
Ok, 3 years later,lots of happy things and very sad things under the bridge, I actually got it together enough to build an English Hasni site. It was RAI that brought me to Algeria even though sometimes I try to forget what brough me there. I met RAINA RAI, Lofti Attar in Oran on one of my trips in December 2007. I have so many happy memories. Seeing Cheb Hindi walking around. Meeting Cheba Djenet. Seeing Cheb Redouane,Cheb Hassan and Kader in person. Seeing the Hadef hotel where Hasni played.
This year I lost my little boy. All my life turned upseide down because I loved him so much. He was very small and it was the most awful and tragic thing that ever happened to me. I still have not really recovered from his death. I want my laugh to come back. I want RAI to play and to sway in the breeze listening to it. I want to smile again. I am trying. Thats why I am starting this HASNI blog in English. Because I am dying inside from the death of my baby and I am sick mentally and I need to get my mind off the pain... Thats what RAI does, it helps you both remember and forget and it tells stories. I have travelled now to Algeria 3 times and I have 2 books on the market about Algeria and a youtube channel highlighting Algerian music anc culture. Dream the dream with me... if you are American or English reading this blog, I will help you understand RAI and who Hasni was so you will better understand the Algerian you know who loves them. Moroccans and Tunisians love Hasni as well because he was their brother and Hasni tells their stories as well. Remember, Oran borders the frontier of Morocco and there is a town there that Hasni visited called OUJDA that has its own brand of RAI. Sidi bel abbess, home to Rachid Baba Ahmed, a producer of RAI murdered in the mid 90s for producing rai and also home to RAINA RAI, Algeria's answer to Santana and Hendrix and everyone in between. Hasni's story is a sad and tragic one ...but he was and remains loved and his music is the soundtrack to many North Africans lives....Dream a dream of Oran with me, a crazy American who fell in love with RAI and then met Algeria along the way. I am suffering inside from the death of my son but I remember so many happy days and I want to be back there again. That is why I am reaching for my favorite music, to take me back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
