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Rachid Taha, Diwan, Island Records (review appeared in Pop Culture Press, web magazine, 2000) Rachid Taha is not only sporting a new hair color these days since the time of his 1996 release Ole Ole. A new musical direction comes along the way with his latest release Diwan. Diwan is an Arabic word which means a "collection" or "assembly" of artistic works of sort-mainly poems. The record is a departure from Taha's experimental pop-guitar tunes of previous releases. In it, the Algerian-born, Parisian rocker digs in his Arabic heritage and puts together a collection of vintage songs which he remakes, along with a couple of original tunes of his own, composed in the same traditional vein. All the borrowed cuts are Algerian except for that of Farid El Atrach, the Syrian-born, Egyptian singer/composer mega star of the Arab world. Three things work i n Taha's favor: One, The selection of songs is some of the best that the Algerian repertoire has to offer. From the wonderful Shaabi music of Dahman El Harrachi and Mohammad El Anka, to the intoxicating Algerian Sahara cut by Ahmed Khelifi. Taha had a superb taste in what he picked. Two, in remaking those wonderful songs, he paid great respect to the essence of the music and kept, in the process, its glorious beauty. Third, he had a team of musicians extrrodinaire to work with-including Nabil Khalidi on the Oud and Banjo, and percussionist guru, Hossam Ramsy. I don't particularly think that Taha's voice is much contribution to the CD (a fact that becomes so clear in the Farid El Atrache's cut-amazingly out of tune and colorless). I do have to say that the arrangements are brilliant for the most part and Taha's own compositions shine and hold their own, even in the presence of such great classics. |
