28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprising and Great!, October 30, 1999
This review is from: Music of Western Sahara (Audio CD)
This is my favorite release of the year. And also the biggest surprise and revealtion to me when I actually popped the first of its 3 CDs into my CD player. I was expecting typical Arab-Islamic music for voice and drums from the obscure country of Western Sahara. I did not expect the articulate electric guitars that also screamed with feedback, nor the delicate and complex acoustic and blues-inflected acoustic guitar playing that's as varied and rich as anything from Mali - yet different. Nor did I expect supremely passionate vocals as intense as the most startling flamenco singing. But that's what I heard on all 3 discs from these little-known people. Since the occupation of the state of Wetern Sahara in 1975, most of the Sahraoui people live in in Algerian terratory where they preserve their completely different culture. And this is totally reflected in the music. It's not like anything else. It's the combination of the raw and powerful traditional vocals and the modern, creative guitar playing that is especially striking here, Those elements combine together with powerful Arabic rhythms and drumming into some that is simultaneously ancient and modern at the same time. The only way to really know or hear this music is to buy this package, which is accompanied by an excellent 123 page booklet.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Surprise of Music., November 17, 2001
This review is from: Music of Western Sahara (Audio CD)
I bought this collection used in San Francisco. I was in the state where I was in the record store with several choices of music and limited funds on me. I read the back of this, took a chance, and I ended up with this one that I had no idea what exactly to expect. I LOVE Moroccan music so I thought they are close geographically so... It took me a little while to get into it because I was expecting traditional only but now it is one of my favorite listenings. I keep all three discs in my 24 count CD travel case. The only minor point is that my discs are misprinted number wise. I'm not sure if it's just my copy but after a little bit you remember which is which. No big deal and the music is worth the full price definately! Highly recommended for anybody interested in good world music, I think. :O}
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mind-blowing desert music from the underdogs of the Sahara, May 11, 2004
This review is from: Music of Western Sahara (Audio CD)
Imagine a turban-clad nomad in flowing robes blasting power chords from an amplified Stratocaster, hammering away on a single droning tonic for mesmerizing minutes while hand drums beat and women ululate in the background. It is reminiscent of Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure, only with more distortion, more drive, more intensity. On a few numbers a bowed electric guitar adds amazing texture. Disc 1 is full of such tracks.
Disc 2 features some in this style as well, along with a few acoustic numbers which are equally fun to listen to. Unfortunately there are also a couple of tracks here which the Spanish producers arranged with synthesizer and drum machine, which are bland and quite forgettable. In the main though it's great stuff.
Disc 3: more "traditional"-sounding music from Sahrawi ensembles without any guest musicians or European instruments.
As a package, this makes for a tremendous listening experience. For those who prefer not to deal with the "political" content, i.e. songs praising the Polisario liberation movement, if you don't understand Arabic I suspect it won't be a problem. If you do, and you are okay with Morocco having shamelessly stolen these people's country away from them, then you probably won't be buying this music in the first place.
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