North African Groove

Putumayo Presents (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Putumayo World Music
• ASIN: B00080Z75U
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,911 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #35 in Music > World Music > Middle East > General
  • #35 in Music > World Music > Middle East > General AAS

Track Listings

1. Montuno Noreno - Jomed

2. Aal Eah - Samira Saeid

3. Nour El Ain - Amr Diab

4. Si Tu Le Veux - Faudel

5. Un Mot De Toi - Rhany

6. Dis-Moi Pourquoi - Amina

7. Bahebbak - Cheb Jilani

8. Sidi - Hamid Baroudi

9. Ya-Rayi - Khaled

10. Viens Habibi - Cheb Mami

11. Hanina - Mohamed Mounir

12. On The Ride - Eastenders

Editorial Reviews

With the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Sahara Desert to the south, North Africa serves as a crossroad between many cultures. The Atlantic coast of Morocco forms the Western boundary of North Africa and the Suez Canal in Egypt its eastern end. Most of North Africa is known as the Maghreb and includes the countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Egypt, which is generally considered part of the Middle East, is geographically part of North Africa.

Echoes of ancient history can still be heard in the rhythms and melodies of North Africa’s popular music. While electronic drum beats, disco and funk-inspired grooves, hip-hop and other Western influences are clearly apparent in the modern music of the region, traditional instrumentation, singing techniques and melodies play an important role in defining the local sound.

The two best known types of popular music from North Africa are raï and al-jil. Raï means "opinion" in Arabic, and it developed in the Algerian port city of Oran in the 1950s and 60s. Raï is the North African equivalent of rock and roll and is now popular throughout the Maghreb and in Arabic communities around the world. Al-jil is Egyptian party music. While raï and al-jil still form the core of popular North African music, Moroccan Gnawa trance, Touareg blues, Berber folk and Afro-Nubian rhythms are some of the exotic local flavors that have influenced the region’s music.

In recent years, the French cities of Paris and Marseilles have become important production centers for North African music, and many popular artists are beginning to create songs that target their own communities as well as a wider French market. Meanwhile, European DJs and producers have collaborated with artists from the region, and the influences of electronica and European club music are ever more evident.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Middle Eastern mixed bag, September 26, 2006

By 

Amaranth "music fan" (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: North African Groove (Audio CD)

I enjoyed "Arabic Groove";after 5 years,it is still marvelous."Sahara Lounge" is the best of Putumayo's Arabic compilations."Cairo to Casablanca" is the worst of Putumayo's Arabic compilations;it has too many repetitive songs.

Where does that put "North African Groove"?Somewhere in the middle.It's neither an absolute bore,but it's better combined with other Arabic albums and put on random shuffle.

Jomed's opening "Montuno Noreno" spicily combines Cuban&North African music,as well as electric effects.Samira Saeid's "Aal Eah" is a great dance song;she's the Moroccan equivalent of Britney Spears,but MUCH better.Amina's "Dis-Moi Pourquoi" has a great beat.Cheb Jilani's "Bahebbak"is a danceable love song.Hamid Baroudi's "Sidi" is disappointing;it's repetitive&dull,unlike his "Caravan II Baghdad" on Putumayo's out-of-print "New World Party" as well as his mesmerizing "Trance Dance" on Putumayo's still in print "World Lounge."Khaled's "Ya-Rayi" shows the "King of Rai" in top form.It's infectious.Cheb Mami's "Viens Habibi" is alright,but the "Prince of Rai" has done much,much better on his albums "Meli Meli"&"Saida." In this song,his sound is too Westernized;it fit in Sting's "Desert Rose" (his ululations made that song exotic),but this time his music is rendered dull.Mohamed Mounir's "Hanina" is excellent,bringing in Nubian rhyth,s.If you're curious,a remix of it by Jasmon is on Putumayo's "Sahara Lounge." It was interesting on my 5-CD player to first hear the Jasmon remix of "Hanina",then the original,thinking,"I've heard this before!"

"North African Groove" is a good introduction to Arabic music.If you want to hear some GREAT Arabic music,listen to Natacha Atlas and Cheb Mami.It's a musical world worth exploring.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthy successor to Putumayo's Arabic Groove, October 1, 2005

By 

Savka (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: North African Groove (Audio CD)

Finally, the long-awaited Putumayo follow-up to the infectious Arabic Groove!
If you thought Arabic Groove was as scintillating, inspiring and downright funky as I did, then you're in for a treat with Putumayo's latest Middle Eastern release: North African Groove. Since many of the best artists represented on Arabic Groove were of North African both in origin and in musical inclination (Khaled, Cheb Tarik, Amr Diab, Natacha Atlas, Hamid al-Shaeri, Abdel Ali al-Slimani..) we can see why another whole CD was necesary to do justice the wonderful and infectious music of this diverse region.

Even on the best Putumayo releases there's at least one filler track - but not a dud in sight on this album. Every track is well performed, written and produced, hitting just the right balance between exotic local colour and universal funkiness and danceability.

Past masters like Khaled and Cheb Mami (respectively, the king and prince of rai, Algeria's rebel pop music)and relative newcomers like Faudel and Hamid Baroudi contribute to the Algerian component (Faudel with a catchy, irresistible ode to living righteously,punctuated by accordion riffs and driven by a lively beat), while Egyptian superstar Amr Diab entrances us with a swinging, Gypsy king-like version of an arabic love song, pop queens Samira Saeid (of Morocco) and Amina (Tunisia)give forceul and musically exciting performances of their crossover hits (Amina challenges our apathy and complacency with regards to the tragedies of the world, and urges us to be aware and collectively work towards peace).

Perhaps the most interesting contributions to this album are those of Jomed and Rhany, both of whom seamlessly fuse Latin/Cuban melodies and rhythms with those of North Africa, it sounds like it would never work but in fact it does and the result is impressive and extremely danceable!

Overall I highly recommend this album to all music fans who have worn out their copies of Arabic Groove, and to all those who want to venture into musical terra incognita, and hear some genre-bending musical experiments that have turned out very well

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groove to North African Groove, November 28, 2005

By 

SgtMaj Howell (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: North African Groove (Audio CD)

Absolutely one of the best CDs I have purchased and I have over 500 in my collection. I picked this CD up in a store in Japan. I was sort of taken back by the price (US 23.00), but once I put North African Groove (NAG) into my player, I smiled during the first to last track. Samira Saeid's Aal Eah (What Did He Say) is a breath of fresh air. I don't understand a word of the lyrics on the CD, but that did not stop me from at least trying to sing along. Get NAG and you will love it.

Just a little about Putumayo. This company really has it going on. From the music to the cover art of their releases, Putumayo will put a smile on your face. Another thing I want to point out. I went to [...] and they are giving all the money they make on their New Orleans and Mississippi Blues CD to the relief efforts until the end of the year.