Customer Reviews

Adventures in Afropea 2: Best of

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

I listened to the very calm and soft voice of this algeran singer that had overcome many obsticles in her life to sing,her voice is very sweet and lovely,the cd is in ber ber language although i didnt understand half of it,,i enjoyed it very much,i first listened to it in our local libray and thought i must buy this cd,i think anyone that apprecaites a beautiful voice will love this cd.

From Ad Cethent Tulas (The Young Girls are Going to Dance) to Tahuzzut (Lullaby), it's hard to not be moved by this music. Even without understanding the language, Djur Djura's expressive voice is captivating. Still want to know what she's singing about? Don't fret, the CD booklet also includes English lyrics. It also contains a short biography of the artist.

Overall, the music has a cinematic-like quality. Each song on the CD conjures up images in your mind. From the first track on, you almost forget you are listening to your stereo. You feel like you are walking through a northern African village where people are dancing and singing folk songs. It's a journey that you will want to experience over and over again.

Surely you've heard Algerian music sometime in your life. Rai singers like Khaled, Cheb Mami and so forth are well known even in the States, thanks in part to Sting's "Desert Rose". But there is far more to Algerian music than Rai and other Arabic traditions. The Berbers, the original inhabitants of North Africa, still struggle for recognition and identity in their homelands, and while their music is not as well known as Rai, Berber music is no less moving than other forms of music. Djur Djura remains one of my favorite Berber musicians, and this CD is an excellent survey of her works. The subtle but lively music hints at joy, life and laughter and her voice is so seductive. Astute listeners will undoubtably notice similarities with Rai, but many differences as well. Even if you cannot speak Amazight, the lyrics are moving and alluring. This CD always makes me feel good, and is pretty dancey too.

This CD is a real melange of styles and influences. Certainly the Algerian and Berber background of Djura are evident, as are French influences as they have filtered into Algerian music (the French were long-time colonizers of Algeria, and fought a bloody war against Algerian independence) as well as the influence on Djura directly from her years living in France. Oddly, though, there are also other disparate influences here that can't overtly be accounted for--there are often harmonies and arrangements that are reminiscent of the famous Bulgarian women's choirs. In addition, there are many moments that sound Celtic in nature. Fascinating stuff (except for the 2nd song, which is just awful and sounds like Jon Anderson's solo work at its very worst).

Reading in the liner notes of this Islamic woman's terrible struggles in Algeria and France, it is amazing that she produces songs that are so uplifting. She sings with a high, pure, clear voice, and often multitracks it to great effect. Given recent events in America, US politicians should be required to read her story before they speak of collateral damage in carpet bombing Islamic countries. Her story gives great credence to the title of a certain John Lennon song.....

This album is beautiful! Djura's voice is so sweet it disguises all the heartache in her life. "Nura" is one of the most moving songs ever written. My recommendation is to learn more about her life and her Algerian background (there's plenty on the web!) which will make listening to this album a hugely rewarding experience.

I got this album years ago because I dug the other Luaka Bop releases and was more than pleasantly surprised. If you like the variety of sounds available in the world pop scene, check this one out!

Who has ears, USE THEM.

Amalia Rodriguez->Cesaria Evora->Chava Alberstein->Merita Halili

and... Her.

Well. From this CD I only bless 1, 4, 5. If you want to be mystified further and are tonaly adventurous, find this and listen: Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares.


Pay especial attention to word Mystere. Yes it means the same thing in French as in English.


Anything from Cesaria. From Merita... She is Albanian, is very hard to find her best recordings, but who finds it is for a great surprise.

Chava? Yiddish Songs. Unglaublich!!!

You are almost done with World Music Quins.

Here is one, that even though has only One Great CD, but she is in the same league.


Souad Massi!

If you would like to experience her Magic/Magick, listen to DEB, and ONLY to DEB.

Continue the journey
Good luck and good night...

I was really excited when I found this CD beacuse it is sung in berber language, however Djur's voice is really high, childlike, almost falsetto and is not to my taste. It sounds like a cross between Venetian choir boys and the Bee Gees..i can't really articulate it, but my mother and i have never heard anything like it in our lives. Having said that her voice is very sweet but it's not a sound that appeals to me. I was expecting typical Maghreb sounds, good rhythms, hand-clapping,wailing...but appart from a brief burst of ululating on the 2nd track (I think it was the 2nd) it did nothing for me. Me, I am a die-hard rai fan and also listen to lots of arabic "pop" music, shaabi sounds etc so for those with similar tastes, I'd say stick with Khaled. This album sounded like nothing I've ever heard in North Africa and if your looking for the traditional sounds, this album is not it.

WHAT A LET DOWN AS I PUT THIS C D IN MY PLAYER AND SAT BACK ONLY TO HEAR CHILD LIKE SINGING AND ANNOYING BANTER....NEEDLESS TO SAY AFTER ONE PLAY IT WENT STRAIGHT INTO THE TRASH BIN!!!!WHAT A WASTE OF $$$$$$$$$$