Khaled - The King of Raï

Born in Algeria but settled in France early on, Khaled is the undisputed king of raï, one of the most important genres in Arabic folk music. His roots lie in Egyptian, Spanish and French popular music, but his sound also betrays the influence of contemporary artists such as James Brown and the Beatles. Thanks to a skillful fusion of funk, reggae and Arabic music, Khaled managed to drive the transformation of raï from a local genre into a global trend.

Starting in 1992, Khaled drops the "Cheb" prefix and achieves worldwide success with "Didi", a deft fusion of Arabic tradition and European pop. Thanks to songs like this one, the encounter between raï and other musical styles becomes fertile, creative crossover territory. The following year brings the crowning achievement of N'ssi N'ssi, which further broadens the range of his musical influences, aided by the production of Philippe Eidel and Don Was. The former plays up the Eastern component, the latter adds an experimental touch, blending it with the power of funk and new urban sounds. Through this approach, Khaled also earns a reputation for being "hip". But the Algerian musician also keeps a strong hold on audiences thanks to the single "Aicha", a romantic ballad written by Jean-Jacques Goldman that graces his following album Sahara (1996).

Riding the wave of success, Khaled makes Kenza, bringing in two more internationally renowned producers. The first is Steve Hillage, a leading figure of 1970s British progressive rock (former leader of Gong and of System 7, as well as producer for other artists working at the crossroads of East and West, such as Rachid Taha). The second is Lati Kronlund, mastermind behind New York's Brooklyn Funk Essentials and a theorist of elegant, sophisticated funk. From the meeting of these two approaches comes an album that occupies uncharted territory, where modernity and tradition intertwine in a myriad of combinations.

By bringing in an Egyptian string orchestra for markedly raï tracks such as "Raba-Raba" or "Aâlach Tloumouni", Hillage breaks the pre-Beatles taboo that ruled out symphonic arrangements for a pop song. In "El Harba", on the other hand, Khaled duets with Anglo-Pakistani chanteuse Amar: India and Egypt meet in a symbolic embrace between two of the cultures that served as the cradle of the entire Maghreb.

By using traditional Arabic instruments such as the oud and the gasba on "El Aâdyene" or "El Bab", in keeping with funk orthodoxy, Kronlund gave Algerian music a new dimension. Khaled commits a series of sacrilegious acts by straying from those rules, creating, with the help of his valuable collaborators, an album in which raï tradition embraces other musical trends while still remaining true to itself. The result also stems from the use of a vast array of instruments, both acoustic and electronic, which help create an original blend of styles.

Alongside Natacha Atlas, Tarkan and a few others, Khaled can be considered one of the most effective exponents of the fusion between Arab-Eastern tradition and Western dance clubs.

(Source: www.worldmusicportal.com)

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google