Rebel Music

Back with a bang, as they say. It's been way too long since we featured any raï around here, the uplifting rebel music of north Africa. So let's go all out and feature a couple of the coolest chebs today, belting out some hypnotic classics from the maghreb. And since we're talking secular stuff here, why not make it a good ole six pack...

Cheb Kader - Al Awama
Cheb Mami - H'Rabti
Cheb Khaled - Chebba
Cheb Zahouani  - Djatni El Magloua
Cheb Sahraoui - Deblet Gualbi
Cheb Zergui - Ana Dellali

Off To College

It's 1974, and we're in that hot Algerian port city called Oran. Young Khaled's party band just went belly up. He's fourteen years old and decides to go it alone. Trig Lycée ('the way to college') is his first single, and to call it promising would be an understatement.

Cheb Khaled - Trig Lycée

And the rest, as they say, is raï rebel history. Here's a stone cold fave from later days.

Cheb Khaled - Sidi Boumediène

Wild Weekend Vol. 53

Make way for the 53rd edition of Wild Weekend, bringing you raï from Algeria, swamp blues from Louisiana, Americana from London, and drama from Detroit rock city. Revolt and have a wild one.

Been awhile since we played some raï here, the rebel music of Algeria. Cheb Khaled is one of the finest exponents of the genre, and in case you're not familiar with his stuff, the '88 album Kutché would make an excellent starting point. To prove my point, here's the hypnotic title track. Goes without saying this beauty is dedicated to all the brave North Africans and Arabs who have been fighting for their rights recently. Some people are lovers instead of fighters though. Take Lazy Lester. He was built for speed, that man from the Louisiana swamps. Played a mean blues harmonica, too.

Cheb Khaled - Kutché MP3

Lazy Lester - I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter MP3

Introducing you to King Jim now, a new face on the London Americana scene. Intense folky stuff that shows the man is well schooled in the classics, from a certain Robert Zimmerman all the way to Simon Joyner and friends. Some freaky injections would be welcome, but I bet you King Jim is here to stay. Check out his bandcamp page if you don't believe me. Which is followed by some Detroit drama from ex-MC5 axeman Wayne Kramer. After the demise of said punk godfathers, brother Wayne spent quite a bit of time on skid row and in jail, but made a well-deserved comeback on Bad Religion's Epitaph label in '95. Junkie Romance autobiographical? You gotta be kidding me.

King Jim - Here's To The Rest Of The World MP3

Wayne Kramer - Junkie Romance MP3

In the previous edition of Wild Weekend we featured Nolan Strong & The Diablos, while mentioning a recently released tribute to these doo wop legends. Here's a rocking taster from Daddy Rockin' Strong, courtesy of former Gories and Demolition Doll Rods foreman Dan Kroha. Do you remember what you did last night? And we'll go out in fighting style with reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, in a raw Dennis Bovell production. Fite Them Back hails from '78 and was directed at the National Front, a fascist party making headlines in Inglan at the time. Sadly, Johnson's anthem remains just as relevant today. He knows just what to do though: "Gonna smash their brains in, cause they ain't got nothing in 'em..."

Danny Kroha & The Del Toros - Do You Remember What You Did MP3

Linton Kwesi Johnson - Fite Dem Back MP3