This rising star of Raï music is young, but he's already been in the music business for several years. He began at the age of 12 by forming a group, "Les Etoiles du Raï", livening up neighborhood parties by singing his favorite songs by Cheb Khaled and Cheb Mami over pre-recorded music. This led to meeting other artists and developing his repertoire, and within three years he was opening for MC Solaar and even Cheb Khaled himself!
1995 found Faudel with two television shows in his honor on the channel France3: "Saga Cities" and "Les Enfants du Raï". The following year he was selected to participate in the Festival du Printemps de Bourges. Of course, as his popularity increased the record labels came calling. Eventually it was the label Mercury who, charmed by the originality of Faudel's music, signed the 18 year-old to a five-record deal.
"Baïda", Faudel's debut, is a strong, multi-faceted album. Faudel's sound mixes the traditional Raï sound with hip-hop, rap, rock and even flamenco. Things begin with the energetic song "Anti", set to a bouncy funk-flavored rhythm. The next song, "Eray", is more in the standard Raï style. Faudel sings of his heritage and of the power of Raï music: "La beauté venue de Sétif m'a laissé en pleurs/ C'est là-bas que j'ai éteint ma peine".This is followed by the lush "Tellement N'Brick", a passionate and dramatic love song with the trademark sweeping violins and infectious beats that make it impossible to sit still while listening to Raï music. "Dis-moi" puts a hip-hop beat and a rap behind Faudel's acrobatic vocals, and "Omri" is set to flamenco guitars. Faudel duets with fellow Raï singer Samira Cherraj on the intense "N'Sel Fik". They are backed by a dizzying jungle beat - as if the vocals, Derbouka (an stringed instrument similar to the Dobro), and rhythm section were thrown into a blender. The result is exhilarating.
There are calm moments as well - notably the folk-influenced ballad "La Valse" and the gently swaying rhythms of "Abadou". "Baïda" is a bold, adventurous album, full of hybrid sounds and ideas. Faudel is an artist to watch!
*Anti, *Eray, *Tellment n'brick, *Dis-moi, *Omri, *La valse, *Baïda, *Miskin, *Abadou, *N'sel fik And *Mavie!
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