Rachid Taha
Encyclopedia
Rachid Taha (born September 18, 1958 in Sig
, Algeria
) is an Algeria
n singer and activist based in France
who has been described as "sonically adventurous." His music is influenced by many different styles such as rock
, electronic
, punk
and raï
.
(Mascara Province
), Algeria
, although a second source suggests he was born in the Algerian seacoast city of Oran
. This town was the "birthplace of raï" music, and 1958 was a key year in the Algerian struggle for independence against French authority. He began listening to Algerian music in the 1960s, including street-style music called chaabi
. And music from the Maghreb
region was part of his upbringing.
He moved with his parents to France
when he was ten years old, settling in an immigrant community around the French city of Lyon
in 1968. His father was a textile factory worker, with long hours and low pay, such that his life was compared to that of a "modern slave", according to one account. When 17, Taha worked during the day at a central heating plant, described as a "menial job", and hated this work, but at night worked as a club DJ playing Arabic music, rap, salsa, funks and "anything else that took his fancy." The contrast between menial work during the day and fun during the night may have helped to develop his musical sensibility. In the late 1970s, Taha founded the nightclub
called The Rejects or, in French, Les Refoulés, where he would spin mashups
of Arabic pop classics over Led Zeppelin
, Bo Diddley
and Kraftwerk
backbeat
s.
which was described as "Morocco's answer to the Beatles or the Stones."
, Taha met Mohammed and Mokhtar Amini and the three of them, along with Djamel Dif and Eric Vaquer would soon form a band. In 1982, Taha was the lead vocalist
for the Arab-language rock group which they named Carte de Sejour
, meaning Green Card or Residence Permit depending on the translation. He sang in both English
and Arabic
, but usually in Arabic. Taha was inspired by the group The Clash:
Taha met members of the group The Clash
in Paris:
Taha believes his early recordings helped to inspire The Clash to create the song Rock the Casbah
. A New York Times music reporter wrote:
These were difficult years since record stores often refused to stock their records "because they didn't want Arabs coming in to their shops." There was little money; the band performed in suburbs of Lyons. Taha took a standard patriotic French song entitled Sweet France (in French: Douce France) which had originally been recorded by Charles Trenet
in the 1940s, kept the lyrics, but sang it with "furious irony" which irritated many French listeners, particularly coming from a "scruffy, bohemian-looking Arabic singer," to the point where Taha's version was banned from French radio. The "acerbic" song created a "splash", nevertheless, and won Taha some recognition as a serious artist. The group never achieved much commercial success and, as a result, Taha had to work a series of day jobs in a factory, then as a house painter, a dishwasher, and later as an encyclopedia salesperson. They recorded their first maxi album Carte De Séjour in 1983. In 1984, with the help of British
guitarist Steve Hillage
, the group achieved a "sharp, driving sound" which played well on the radio, and the LP was entitled Rhoromanie. In his songwriting, Taha wrote about living in exile
and the cultural strife associated with being an Algerian immigrant in France. In 1986, his "sneering punk-rock cover of Douce France" was seen as an "unmistakable protest against the nation's treatment of its immigrant underclass," and caused consternation in French political circles. His song Voilà, Voilà, protested racism
. Taha has had to cope with anti-Arab sentiment and confusion; for example, the New York Times stated in a front-page story that Taha was Egypt
ian rather than Algeria
n, but later posted a correction. Later, in 2007, Taha-as-an-immigrant was mentioned in France's National Center of the History of Immigration.
When performing live, Taha wore various outfits, including at one point a leather fedora hat, then later a red cowboy hat
. Their second and last LP entitled Ramsa (Five) was released in 1986. The band dissolved in 1989.
to record with musician Don Was
, who had been a producer associated with the Rolling Stones. Taha mixed a variety of instruments and styles for his sound. With a drum instrument called a doumbek or darbuka, his new group played Arabic-style beats. It appeared at one point that Taha might become an "overnight success", but after the release of the album Barbes, sales were disappointing in the United States
, possibly because Americans were not keen on Arabic-sounding music during the time of the first Gulf War
.
But American music audience were not ready for Arabic pop after the Gulf War
, and Taha's 1991 album Barbes failed to sell well. In 1993, Taha again worked with Hillage who helped produce Taha's second solo album and helped him achieve "the kind of clubland-raï synthesis." Hillage worked on three solo Taha albums from 1993 to 2001, helping Taha return to his "north African roots". In 1995, he released his solo debut album entitled Olé Olé with Taha looking like an "Aryan androgyne" with dyed blond hair and blue contact lenses, to make a point about anti-Arab bigotry and at the "homophobia of North African culture." In 1997, his song Ya Rayah became a hit. He performed in the Canary Islands
.
In 2001, Taha released Made in Medina, and a music critic commented that he used a "full and varied instrumental palette" along with "a dizzying vocal facility that transcends whatever style he's plugged." The album was recorded in Paris
, New Orleans, and London
with input from the American jam band Galactic. Taha saw parallels between African and American music and said "New Orleans is like Algiers ... They were both French colonies at one time, and there's even an area there called Algiers," and he noted that Louisiana Zydeco
drum patterns were similar to raï music. Made in Medina combined Algerian roots, techno
, pop music, and early rock and punk influences with "remarkable consistency" with previous works, according to Hillage. There were elements of political protest in his music leading a BBC
critic to describe him as a "shit-disturbing artist who risks challenging his own culture as undemocratic." He wanted to record in New Orleans "because I see parallels between African and American music, and between the music of the African slaves who came to New Orleans, and that of the Gnawas, the black desert tribes who became slaves of the Arabs in north Africa. And New Orleans is like Algiers. They were both French colonies at one time, and there's even an area there called Algiers." He was delighted to find that some of the local Louisiana Zydeco drum patterns are remarkably similar to raï. A report in The Guardian suggested that Taha had achieved a cult
status in pop music.
Taha's breakthrough album as a solo artist was his bestseller Diwân
, featuring remakes of songs from Algeria
n and Arab
traditions. The album featured traditional instruments like the oud
but with a "contemporary veneer of programmed percussion and samples added in." Taha mixed the oud with strings using a contemporary beat along with guitar work, according to one account. Taha's album Tékitoi
, produced
by Steve Hillage
and released in 2004, brought acclaim and recognition from other rock musicians. The title track is "street slang" meaning, roughly, Who the Hell Are You? and the music had "echoes of Joe Strummer", according to a review in The Observer. In 2005 Taha performed with Robert Plant
, Patti Smith
and Brian Eno
. He covered The Clash
song Rock the Casbah
which he retitled with the Arabic name of Rock El Casbah. This song appeared in the 2007 film about Clash frontman Joe Strummer
entitled The Future Is Unwritten
. The song suggested rock music as "banned but unstoppable." And, in one concert, Taha performed the song along with The Clash musician Mick Jones. The Guardian selected Rock El Casbah as one of the top 50 cover songs.
Taha played in Morocco
in 2005. In 2007, Taha performed in Canada and a reporter from the Montreal Gazette described his performance while wearing a "pewter pimp suit" which was "stunning":
Some critics attribute Taha's unique sound to his use of the mandolute
, a mixture of the traditional oud
with European fretted instruments. One critic described his arrangements as "no less bombastic" since they mixed North African rhythms and "string orchestra flourishes" with "pummeling big-beat techno, distorted electric guitars, snatches of Bo Diddley, Led Zeppelin and other macho sounds."
The song Barra Barra from his album Made in Medina
was featured in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down as well as in the Games Convention
2008 trailer of the game Far Cry 2
. It was featured in the 2007 film The Hunting Party. He performed with the band Dengue Fever
.
His song Garab from Made in Medina was used in the movie The Truth About Charlie
in 2002, and also in Blood and Chocolate
in 2007. In 2008, Taha was growing increasingly prominent, with greater audiences in places such as Canada
, although there were reports that his music had "trouble getting airplay
" in France. He performed with Nigerian artists Fela Kuti
, Femi Kuti
and Seun Kuti
. as well as Brian Eno
in an anti-war concert in London. He was described as a ""wild Algerian punk fan" performing among a lineup which read like a "Who's Who of west African music", and was part of "Africa Express", a response to the lack of African musicians at Bob Geldof
's Live 8 musical extravaganza.
In 2009, Taha released Bonjour which The Guardian
music critic Robin Denselow described as "calmed down" under a new producer, Gaetan Roussel. Denselow wrote: "The result is an unlikely set in which Taha appears to be deliberately courting a new, wider market by playing down that wild rebel image." Denselow felt the music was more "commercial" and "not his most exciting." It included a "rousing tribute" on his cover song Rock El Casbah to the late Clash
guitarist Joe Strummer
. In 2010, Taha played in Toronto to large audiences. Taha performed with Algerian artist Mehdi Haddab who plays the oud
. Taha's song "Habina" was featured in the 2010 film, "It's Kind of a Funny Story
." Guitarist Carlos Santana
recorded his song Migra which went on to sell over 25 million copies. In 2011, Taha is touring the United States
.
in the United States
. Taha was quoted as saying "I've never wanted to just stay in my own neighborhood, my own community ... It's a kind of conformism. You have to be adventurous." He does not like contemporary French cinema and said "I'd much rather watch some dumb Hollywood movie than another haute bourgeois auteurist piece of crap." He has been a critic of the Bush administration
although he has made comments favoring a bombing raid on Iran
, and said that "Iran shouldn't be allowed to have nukes."
Sig, Algeria
Sig is a town formerly located in Oran Province and now located in Mascara Province, northwestern Algeria....
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
) is an Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n singer and activist based in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
who has been described as "sonically adventurous." His music is influenced by many different styles such as rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and raï
Raï
Raï is a form of folk music that originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s....
.
Early life
Taha was born in 1958 in SigSig, Algeria
Sig is a town formerly located in Oran Province and now located in Mascara Province, northwestern Algeria....
(Mascara Province
Mascara Province
Mascara is a province in Algeria. There was an earthquake in Mascara City on 18 August 1994 - 5.6 on the Richter scale - which killed 171 people. It was named after its capital, whose name means "military garrison" in Arabic, and which is unrelated to "Mascara", the cosmetic...
), Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, although a second source suggests he was born in the Algerian seacoast city of Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
. This town was the "birthplace of raï" music, and 1958 was a key year in the Algerian struggle for independence against French authority. He began listening to Algerian music in the 1960s, including street-style music called chaabi
Chaabi (Algeria)
Chaabi is a traditional music of Algiers , formalized by El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka.Originally from the Casbah, Chaabi first appeared in the late 19th century, inspired by vocal traditions of Arab Andalusian music, also the home of Flamenco music...
. And music from the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
region was part of his upbringing.
He moved with his parents to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
when he was ten years old, settling in an immigrant community around the French city of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
in 1968. His father was a textile factory worker, with long hours and low pay, such that his life was compared to that of a "modern slave", according to one account. When 17, Taha worked during the day at a central heating plant, described as a "menial job", and hated this work, but at night worked as a club DJ playing Arabic music, rap, salsa, funks and "anything else that took his fancy." The contrast between menial work during the day and fun during the night may have helped to develop his musical sensibility. In the late 1970s, Taha founded the nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
called The Rejects or, in French, Les Refoulés, where he would spin mashups
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of Arabic pop classics over Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
and Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
backbeat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
s.
Raï roots
In the 1980s, Algeria's indigenous pop music known as raï began to achieve international attention. Originally raï music was based on "city slickers adapting music from the sticks" and was described as ribald, but it became more of a medium for political protest when young people in the 1960s and 1970s used it to "express their anger and desires." Taha has suggested that Algerian musical styles and rock are "closely linked". Taha was influenced by the North African raï band Nass El GhiwaneNass El Ghiwane
Nass El Ghiwane are a musical group established in 1971 in Casablanca, Morocco. Their song "Ya Sah" appears in the film The Last Temptation of Christ and on the associated album Passion – Sources. The group, which originated in avant-garde political theater, has played an influential role in...
which was described as "Morocco's answer to the Beatles or the Stones."
Carte de Séjour
In 1981, while living in LyonLyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Taha met Mohammed and Mokhtar Amini and the three of them, along with Djamel Dif and Eric Vaquer would soon form a band. In 1982, Taha was the lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
for the Arab-language rock group which they named Carte de Sejour
Carte de Séjour
Carte de Séjour was a French rock band. The group was founded in 1980 by Rachid Taha , Djamel Dif , Mokhtar Amini , Mohamed Amini and Éric Vaquer ....
, meaning Green Card or Residence Permit depending on the translation. He sang in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, but usually in Arabic. Taha was inspired by the group The Clash:
Taha met members of the group The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
in Paris:
Taha believes his early recordings helped to inspire The Clash to create the song Rock the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
"Rock the Casbah" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash in 1982. It was released as the third single from their fifth album, Combat Rock. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and, along with the track "Mustapha Dance," it also reached number eight on...
. A New York Times music reporter wrote:
These were difficult years since record stores often refused to stock their records "because they didn't want Arabs coming in to their shops." There was little money; the band performed in suburbs of Lyons. Taha took a standard patriotic French song entitled Sweet France (in French: Douce France) which had originally been recorded by Charles Trenet
Charles Trenet
Charles Trenet was a French singer and songwriter, most famous for his recordings from the late 1930s until the mid-1950s, though his career continued through the 1990s...
in the 1940s, kept the lyrics, but sang it with "furious irony" which irritated many French listeners, particularly coming from a "scruffy, bohemian-looking Arabic singer," to the point where Taha's version was banned from French radio. The "acerbic" song created a "splash", nevertheless, and won Taha some recognition as a serious artist. The group never achieved much commercial success and, as a result, Taha had to work a series of day jobs in a factory, then as a house painter, a dishwasher, and later as an encyclopedia salesperson. They recorded their first maxi album Carte De Séjour in 1983. In 1984, with the help of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
guitarist Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s...
, the group achieved a "sharp, driving sound" which played well on the radio, and the LP was entitled Rhoromanie. In his songwriting, Taha wrote about living in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
and the cultural strife associated with being an Algerian immigrant in France. In 1986, his "sneering punk-rock cover of Douce France" was seen as an "unmistakable protest against the nation's treatment of its immigrant underclass," and caused consternation in French political circles. His song Voilà, Voilà, protested racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
. Taha has had to cope with anti-Arab sentiment and confusion; for example, the New York Times stated in a front-page story that Taha was Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian rather than Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n, but later posted a correction. Later, in 2007, Taha-as-an-immigrant was mentioned in France's National Center of the History of Immigration.
When performing live, Taha wore various outfits, including at one point a leather fedora hat, then later a red cowboy hat
Cowboy hat
The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with...
. Their second and last LP entitled Ramsa (Five) was released in 1986. The band dissolved in 1989.
Solo years
In 1989, Taha moved to Paris to launch his solo career. At one point he was invited to Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to record with musician Don Was
Don Was
Don Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...
, who had been a producer associated with the Rolling Stones. Taha mixed a variety of instruments and styles for his sound. With a drum instrument called a doumbek or darbuka, his new group played Arabic-style beats. It appeared at one point that Taha might become an "overnight success", but after the release of the album Barbes, sales were disappointing in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, possibly because Americans were not keen on Arabic-sounding music during the time of the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
But American music audience were not ready for Arabic pop after the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, and Taha's 1991 album Barbes failed to sell well. In 1993, Taha again worked with Hillage who helped produce Taha's second solo album and helped him achieve "the kind of clubland-raï synthesis." Hillage worked on three solo Taha albums from 1993 to 2001, helping Taha return to his "north African roots". In 1995, he released his solo debut album entitled Olé Olé with Taha looking like an "Aryan androgyne" with dyed blond hair and blue contact lenses, to make a point about anti-Arab bigotry and at the "homophobia of North African culture." In 1997, his song Ya Rayah became a hit. He performed in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
.
In 2001, Taha released Made in Medina, and a music critic commented that he used a "full and varied instrumental palette" along with "a dizzying vocal facility that transcends whatever style he's plugged." The album was recorded in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, New Orleans, and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with input from the American jam band Galactic. Taha saw parallels between African and American music and said "New Orleans is like Algiers ... They were both French colonies at one time, and there's even an area there called Algiers," and he noted that Louisiana Zydeco
Zydeco
Zydeco is a form of uniquely American roots or folk music. It evolved in southwest Louisiana in the early 19th century from forms of "la la" Creole music...
drum patterns were similar to raï music. Made in Medina combined Algerian roots, techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, pop music, and early rock and punk influences with "remarkable consistency" with previous works, according to Hillage. There were elements of political protest in his music leading a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
critic to describe him as a "shit-disturbing artist who risks challenging his own culture as undemocratic." He wanted to record in New Orleans "because I see parallels between African and American music, and between the music of the African slaves who came to New Orleans, and that of the Gnawas, the black desert tribes who became slaves of the Arabs in north Africa. And New Orleans is like Algiers. They were both French colonies at one time, and there's even an area there called Algiers." He was delighted to find that some of the local Louisiana Zydeco drum patterns are remarkably similar to raï. A report in The Guardian suggested that Taha had achieved a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
status in pop music.
Diwan
Dewan, Diwan or Divan may refer to:*The Arabic/Persian word Dewan or Divan , with a range of meanings:**"book"*** The Diwan or Girgam, a record of the Kanem Empire...
, featuring remakes of songs from Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n and Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
traditions. The album featured traditional instruments like the oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
but with a "contemporary veneer of programmed percussion and samples added in." Taha mixed the oud with strings using a contemporary beat along with guitar work, according to one account. Taha's album Tékitoi
Tékitoi
Tékitoi is a studio album released in 2004 by the Franco-Algerian musician Rachid Taha. The title is a nonstandard spelling of the French question "Tu es qui, toi?" which might be pronounced in speech as "T'es qui, toi?" and, in the context of this song, means "Who do you think you are?"...
, produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s...
and released in 2004, brought acclaim and recognition from other rock musicians. The title track is "street slang" meaning, roughly, Who the Hell Are You? and the music had "echoes of Joe Strummer", according to a review in The Observer. In 2005 Taha performed with Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
and Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
. He covered The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
song Rock the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
"Rock the Casbah" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash in 1982. It was released as the third single from their fifth album, Combat Rock. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and, along with the track "Mustapha Dance," it also reached number eight on...
which he retitled with the Arabic name of Rock El Casbah. This song appeared in the 2007 film about Clash frontman Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
entitled The Future Is Unwritten
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten is a 2007 documentary film directed by Julien Temple about Joe Strummer, the lead singer of the English punk rock band The Clash, that went on to win the British Independent Film Awards as Best British Documentary 2007. The film premiered 20 January 2007 at...
. The song suggested rock music as "banned but unstoppable." And, in one concert, Taha performed the song along with The Clash musician Mick Jones. The Guardian selected Rock El Casbah as one of the top 50 cover songs.
Taha played in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in 2005. In 2007, Taha performed in Canada and a reporter from the Montreal Gazette described his performance while wearing a "pewter pimp suit" which was "stunning":
Mandolute
A Mandolute is a North African instrument derived from the more traditional Oud. It is a ten string fretted instrument, sometimes called a mandoluth or mandol. It is slightly bigger than the mandola...
, a mixture of the traditional oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
with European fretted instruments. One critic described his arrangements as "no less bombastic" since they mixed North African rhythms and "string orchestra flourishes" with "pummeling big-beat techno, distorted electric guitars, snatches of Bo Diddley, Led Zeppelin and other macho sounds."
The song Barra Barra from his album Made in Medina
Made in Medina
Made in Medina is a studio album by French-Algerian raï artist Rachid Taha, released in 2000 by Barclay Records and produced and arranged by Steve Hillage. Five of the songs were subsequently featured in Taha's live album....
was featured in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down as well as in the Games Convention
Games Convention
The Games Convention, sometimes called the Leipzig Games Convention and abbreviated as GC, was an annual video game event held in Leipzig, Germany, first held in 2002. Besides video games, the event also covers Infotainment, Hardware, and Edutainment...
2008 trailer of the game Far Cry 2
Far Cry 2
Far Cry 2 is an open world first-person shooter developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released on October 21, 2008 in North America and on October 23, 2008 in Europe and Australia. It was made available on Steam on October 22, 2008...
. It was featured in the 2007 film The Hunting Party. He performed with the band Dengue Fever
Dengue Fever (band)
Dengue Fever is a six-member band from Los Angeles who combine Cambodian pop music and lyrics with psychedelic rock.-History:The band was formed in 2001 by Ethan Holtzman and his brother Zac after Ethan was inspired by a trip to Cambodia...
.
His song Garab from Made in Medina was used in the movie The Truth About Charlie
The Truth About Charlie
The Truth About Charlie is a 2002 remake of the 1963 film Charade. It is also an homage to François Truffaut's 1960 film Shoot the Piano Player complete with that film's star, Charles Aznavour, making two surreal appearances singing his song "Quand tu m'aimes" .The Truth About Charlie was produced,...
in 2002, and also in Blood and Chocolate
Blood and Chocolate (film)
Blood & Chocolate is a 2007 film directed by Katja von Garnier, produced by Lakeshore Entertainment and distributed by MGM. It is very loosely based on the young-adult novel of the same name by Annette Curtis Klause, which was adapted into a screenplay by Ehren Kruger. The movie was released on DVD...
in 2007. In 2008, Taha was growing increasingly prominent, with greater audiences in places such as Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, although there were reports that his music had "trouble getting airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
" in France. He performed with Nigerian artists Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
, Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician and the eldest son of afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti....
and Seun Kuti
Seun Kuti
Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti , commonly known as Seun Kuti, is a Nigerian musician, and the youngest son of legendary afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun leads his father's former band Egypt 80....
. as well as Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
in an anti-war concert in London. He was described as a ""wild Algerian punk fan" performing among a lineup which read like a "Who's Who of west African music", and was part of "Africa Express", a response to the lack of African musicians at Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
's Live 8 musical extravaganza.
In 2009, Taha released Bonjour which The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
music critic Robin Denselow described as "calmed down" under a new producer, Gaetan Roussel. Denselow wrote: "The result is an unlikely set in which Taha appears to be deliberately courting a new, wider market by playing down that wild rebel image." Denselow felt the music was more "commercial" and "not his most exciting." It included a "rousing tribute" on his cover song Rock El Casbah to the late Clash
Clash (band)
Clash is a rock band from Thailand, It was founded in 2001 by Preeti Barameeanant , Thanapon Rokesomput , Thapana Na Bangchang , Sukrit Sripaoraya , and Anan Dapphetthikon...
guitarist Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
. In 2010, Taha played in Toronto to large audiences. Taha performed with Algerian artist Mehdi Haddab who plays the oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
. Taha's song "Habina" was featured in the 2010 film, "It's Kind of a Funny Story
It's Kind of a Funny Story (film)
It's Kind of a Funny Story is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, an adaptation of Ned Vizzini's 2006 novel of the same name. The film stars Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, and Viola Davis...
." Guitarist Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
recorded his song Migra which went on to sell over 25 million copies. In 2011, Taha is touring the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Reviews
- Music critic Philip Brasor in Japan Times commented that Taha's album Made in Medina featured Arabic "chanting" which was meant to evoke "the generalized chaos of society" and which features "heart-stopping break beats, flamenco guitar, African choruses, crunching hard rock and the inevitable sappy love song."
- Music critic Robin Denselow felt Taha's Bonjour album was calm -- "he switches between Arabic and French in this mix of pleasant ballads and novelty pop, with just the occasional reminder of the old passion and anger." Denselow felt his album Tékitoi (2004) was his "most powerful, direct fusion of rock and north African styles to date." Denselow wrote:
- New York Times wrote about Taha's song Ah Mon Amour:
- BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
music critic Martin Vennard described Taha's music as a "seductive mixture of traditional North African, rock, techno and dance music."
- Canadian music critic Philly Markowitz named a Taha album one of the best in 2005.
- French music critic Amobe Mevegue described Taha as an "eclectic artist".
Personal life
Taha has been described as "gregarious" and "quick with a smile" who likes to party throughout the night. He has a cosmopolitan group of friends including a French girlfriend who recently attended Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Taha was quoted as saying "I've never wanted to just stay in my own neighborhood, my own community ... It's a kind of conformism. You have to be adventurous." He does not like contemporary French cinema and said "I'd much rather watch some dumb Hollywood movie than another haute bourgeois auteurist piece of crap." He has been a critic of the Bush administration
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
although he has made comments favoring a bombing raid on Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and said that "Iran shouldn't be allowed to have nukes."
Discography and Videography
| Title | Year | Label | Type | Band | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carte de Séjour | 1983 | Album | Carte de Séjour | ||
| Bleu De Marseille | 1984 | Single | Carte de Séjour | ||
| Rhorhomanie | 1984 | Album | Carte de Séjour | ||
| Douce France | 1986 | Single | Carte de Séjour | ||
| 2½ (Deux Et Demi) | 1986 | Album | Carte de Séjour | ||
| Ramsa | 1987 | Single | Carte de Séjour | ||
| Ramsa (Cinq) | 1987 | Album | Carte de Séjour | ||
| Barbès Barbès Barbès is the debut album by French–Algerian singer Rachid Taha. It was released by Barclay Records in 1991.-Track listing:All songs written and composed by Rachid Taha.# "Confiance" – 5:40# "Barbès" – 4:25# "Gazelle" – 4:41# "Lela" – 4:24... |
1991 | Album | Solo | ||
| Voilà, Voilà | 1993 | Single | Solo | ||
| Rachid Taha | 1993 | Album | Solo | ||
| Olé, Olé Olé, Olé (album) Olé, Olé is the third studio album by French-Algerian singer Rachid Taha. It was released by Mango Records in 1995. It was reissued in 1996 by Barclay Records with an alternate track listing.-Track listing:... |
1995 | Mango | Album | Solo | |
| Olé, Olé Olé, Olé (album) Olé, Olé is the third studio album by French-Algerian singer Rachid Taha. It was released by Mango Records in 1995. It was reissued in 1996 by Barclay Records with an alternate track listing.-Track listing:... |
1996 | Barclay | Album | Solo | |
| Carte Blanche | 1997 | Album | Solo | ||
| Ya Rayah Ya Rayah "Ya Rayah" is an Algerian "chaabi" song composed and performed in the 1970s by Dahmane El Harrachi . Up until the past 15 years this song was known to be Dahman El Harrachi's original song and in the Chaabi/Andalous tradition of Algiers... |
1997 | Single | Solo | ||
| Diwân Diwan Dewan, Diwan or Divan may refer to:*The Arabic/Persian word Dewan or Divan , with a range of meanings:**"book"*** The Diwan or Girgam, a record of the Kanem Empire... |
1998 | Wrasse Records Wrasse Records Wrasse Records is a British record label. It was started in 1998 by Ian and Jo Ashbridge. Both had been involved in the music industry prior to them starting up their own company. Its offices are based in the UK, but it distributes its CDs all around the world... |
Album (live) | Solo | |
| 1,2,3 Soleils 1,2,3 Soleils -External links:*... |
1999 | Album (live) | Solo | with Khaled Khaled (musician) Khaled Hadj Ibrahim , better known as Khaled, is a raï singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Sidi El Houari in Oran Province of Algeria... and Faudel Faudel Faudel , born Faudel Belloua on June 6, 1978 in Mantes-la-Jolie, is a French singer of Algerian descent.-Early years:... |
|
| Made In Medina | 2000 | Album | Solo | ||
| Barra, Barra | 2001 | Single | Solo | ||
| Rachid Taha Live (Medina Tour) Rachid Taha Live Rachid Taha Live is a live album from French-Algerian raï artist Rachid Taha, released in 2001 by Barclay. It was produced and arranged by Steve Hillage, and recorded during a concert at L'Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, March 11, 2001.-Track listing:... |
2001 | Album (live) | Solo | ||
| Tékitoi Tékitoi Tékitoi is a studio album released in 2004 by the Franco-Algerian musician Rachid Taha. The title is a nonstandard spelling of the French question "Tu es qui, toi?" which might be pronounced in speech as "T'es qui, toi?" and, in the context of this song, means "Who do you think you are?"... |
2004 | Wrasse Records Wrasse Records Wrasse Records is a British record label. It was started in 1998 by Ian and Jo Ashbridge. Both had been involved in the music industry prior to them starting up their own company. Its offices are based in the UK, but it distributes its CDs all around the world... |
Album | Solo | |
| Écoute Moi Camarade | 2006 | Single | Solo | ||
| Diwân 2 Diwan 2 Diwan 2 is the seventh studio album by French–Algerian Raï singer Rachid Taha. It was released by Wrasse Records on 16 October 2006. The album is a follow-up to Diwân and primarily features cover versions of songs recorded by Blaoui Houari and Mohamed Mazouni.-Track listing:# "Ecoute Moi... |
2006 | Wrasse Records Wrasse Records Wrasse Records is a British record label. It was started in 1998 by Ian and Jo Ashbridge. Both had been involved in the music industry prior to them starting up their own company. Its offices are based in the UK, but it distributes its CDs all around the world... |
Album | Solo | |
| The Best of Rachid Taha (The Definitive Collection) The Definitive Collection (Rachid Taha album) The Definitive Collection is a compilation album by raï singer Rachid Taha. It was released by Wrasse Records in 2007. The album's initial release was limited to 2000 copies, which were accompanied by a DVD that documented Taha's return to Algeria.... |
2007 | Wrasse Records Wrasse Records Wrasse Records is a British record label. It was started in 1998 by Ian and Jo Ashbridge. Both had been involved in the music industry prior to them starting up their own company. Its offices are based in the UK, but it distributes its CDs all around the world... |
Album | Solo | |
| Rock N Raï | 2008 | Album | Solo | ||
| Bonjour Bonjour (album) Bonjour is the eighth studio album by French–Algerian singer Rachid Taha. It was released by Wrasse Records on 26 October 2009.- Critical response :Bonjour received mixed reviews from music critics... |
2009 | Knitting Factory Records Knitting Factory Records Knitting Factory Records is an independent American music label that is notable for promoting a variety of artists including deceased Nigerian political agitator and musician Fela Kuti... |
Album | Solo | |
| Bleu De Marseille | 1984 | Video | Carte De Séjour | ||
| Douce France | 1987 | Video | Carte De Séjour | ||
| Barbes | 1991 | Video | Solo | ||
| Voilà, Voilà | 1993 | Video | Solo | ||
| Indie | 1993 | Video | Solo | ||
| Non Non Non | 1995 | Video | Solo | ||
| Ya Rayah | 1997 | Video | Solo | ||
| Ida | 1998 | Video | Solo | ||
| 1,2,3 Soleils | 1999 | Video | Solo | ||
| Hey Anta | 2000 | Video | Solo | ||
| Rachid Taha En Concert Live Paris | 2001 | Video | Solo | ||
| Tékitoi | 2004 | Video | Solo | ||
| Rock El Casbah | 2004 | Video | Solo | ||
| Écoute Moi Camarade | 2006 | Video | Solo | ||
| Agatha | 2006 | Video | Solo | ||
| Ma Parabole D'Honneur | 2007 | Video | Solo | ||
| Bonjour | 2009 | Video | Solo | ||