Rai Rebels

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 1, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Earthworks [Virgin]
• ASIN: B000008JQ3
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,463 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #3 in Music > World Music > Africa > Algeria
  • #28 in Music > World Music > Middle East > General
  • #28 in Music > World Music > Middle East > General AAS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rai rocks !, April 1, 2001

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rai Rebels (Audio CD)

If you've never had the opportunity to hear Rai, this is a wonderful introduction to it. This fabulous music from Oran is one of the best for dancing, with its pulsating rhythms and marvelous Arabic melodies.

It starts out with "N'Sel Fik" ("You are Mine"), sung by the great Chaba Fadela, and her husband, the equally terrific Cheb Sahraoui, who's intro to the song is one of the most sensual sounds I've ever heard...the song was a big hit for the couple in '86, and continues to enthrall 15 years later.

Produced by Rachid Baba, the other artists on this CD are Cheb Khaled, who is worthy of his label as "King of Rai", and who sings a solo, as well as a duet with another top female voice, Chaba Zahouania. The CD is rounded out with songs from Houari Benchenet, and Cheb Hamid.

The booklet includes a brief history of Rai music, the story of how Rachid managed to record songs that were initially only improvised and hard to repeat, and the cover photo is of the irrepressible King, Cheb Khaled.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You will not regret it!, March 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Rai Rebels (Audio CD)

Knew nothing about Rai but this made me a convert, so much so that probably any other Rai CD will not be able to match it. Every song is indeed hypnotic. Incredible!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great percussion, hypnotic melody, January 17, 2000

By 

Jeannette Belliveau "Author, "An Amateur'... (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rai Rebels (Audio CD)

Rai Rebels captures the liberation music found in the port city of Oman in Algeria.

Hypnotic Arab melodies marry a strong percussive beat for some of the most distinctively compelling music around.

I could listen to "Sidi Boumeddiene" by Cheb Khaled on repeat for hours on end, for the extended instrumental of fading drums that make its conclusion.

Unfortunately some of the other tunes are a bit monotonous, but what is good on this CD is very, very fine indeed -- nothing like it.