01	Serbi Serbi						06:24
	02	Kebou						04:56
	03	Adieu						05:21
	04	Chebba						05:41
	05	Les Ailes						04:55
	06	Alech Taadi						04:11
	07	Bakhta						05:13
	08	N'ssi N'ssi						03:35
	09	Zine A Zine						04:46
	10	Abdel Kader						06:09
	11	El Marsem						04:58

Rai

N'ssi N'ssi
Date of Release 1993

Many people think Egyptian pop is something you hear through tinny speakers in crowded marketplaces, but this star creates highly polished danceable tracks. Many tunes on this disc are produced by Don Was, which attests to Khaled's international renown. - Tim Sheridan

Khaled - Synthesizer, Accordion, Vocals
Kouider Berkane - Violin
Guy Bertrand - Clarinet
Dan Bosworth - Mixing Assistant
Michael Brook - Guitar
Alex Brown - Vocals (bckgr)
Mohsein Chentouf - Percussion
Simon Clarke - Horn
Vincent Courtois - Cello
Steve Deutsch - Engineer
Claude Egeo - Trumpet
Philippe Eidel - Accordion, Arranger, Keyboards, Producer
Alex Gifford - Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Programming, Producer
Laurent Gueneau - Producer, Mixing
Abdellah Helmy - Ney
Randall Jacobs - Guitar
Stephen "Doc" Kupka - Sax (Baritone)
Roddy Lorimer - Horn
Arthur Marbury - Drums
Buster Maybury - Drums
Jean McLain - Vocals (bckgr)
David McMurray - Trombone, Trumpet, Saxophone, Sax (Tenor), Brass
Oanun Imand Morcos - Accordion, Keyboards, Oanun
Jamie Muhoberac - Keyboards, Programming
Hank Mustapha - Violin
Jean Mytruong - Drums
Yves N'Djock - Guitar
Bernard Paganotti - Bass
Rik Pekkonen - Engineer, Mixing
Bernard Poganotti - Bass
Bobby Rangel - Saxophone
Tim Sanders - Horn
Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac - Double Bass
Abdallah Terkmani - Guitar
Lee Thornburg - Trombone, Trumpet
Robby Turner - Pedal Steel, Guitar (Steel)
Don Was - Bass, Producer, Double Bass, Liner Notes
Claude Egea - Trumpet
Randy Jacobs - Guitar
Jean-My Truong - Drums
Ian Dench - Guitar
Naief Basyoni - Assistant Engineer
Alain Cure - Assistant Engineer
Kouider Derkane - Violin
Khaled Fouad - Violin
Mohamed Abdel Gawad - Cello
Wagdey Ghoniem - Violin
Stephane Gicquel - Illustrations
Alaa el Kashief - Assistant Engineer
Hassan Massoudy - Artwork
Yves Njock - Guitar
Thierry Rajic - Photography
Ahmed Tahraoui - Engineer
Anwar Mansey - Violin
Alaa Ragey - Violin
Richard Evans - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
Jean-Francois Dominguez - Assistant Engineer

1994 CD Cohiba 124012
1994 CS Cohiba 124012
1993 Mango 697 124 012-2
1995 CD Mango 1111
2000 CD Polygram International 519898





Cheb Khaled
AKA born: Khaled Hadj Brahim
Born 1960 in Sidi-El-Houri, Algeria

Khaled is the poster boy for the modern form of Algerian desert blues known as Rai. Certainly he's been its most successful modern exponent, the first to find success on the international stage. Born Khalidu Hajji Brahim in Oran, the traditional center of Rai, he was attracted to music from an early age, especially to Rai, which was seen at the time of the music of outcasts, drunks, and prostitutes, although he also loved James Brown and the Beatles. He taught himself to play guitar, bass, harmonica, and accordion, releasing his debut disc, "Trigh Lycee," when he was just 14. Leaving home, he began on the peripatetic life of the musician, performing frequently at clubs, parties, and weddings (the only places where Rai was seen as an "acceptable" form of entertainment). It was in the early '80s that Cheb (meaning "young") Khaled's fortunes changed, when he met up with producer Rachid Baba Ahmed, who was revolutionizing the Rai form by introducing Western electric instruments and studio techniques. Together, they changed the face of the music. Khaled was the right voice at the right time and the addition of drum machines, synthesizers, and guitars took the music to a new generation, even though much of it continued to be censored by the Algerian government, which considered the style subversive. A number of those early tracks can be found on Le Meilleur de Cheb Khaled on Blue Silver.
By 1986, Khaled (who'd now dropped the Cheb) had been forced to move to Paris, as violence in Algeria claimed lives and he'd been threatened several times (producer Ahmed would, in fact, be murdered, as would several Rai performers). Arriving with a reputation, he attempted to take his music to a global level, although his real debut, Kutche, did him no favors with its jazz-rock arrangements. He fared much better with 1992's Khaled, with some tracks produced by Michael Brook and others by Don Was. It yielded his first big hit, "Didi," and helped consolidate his reputation as Rai's first superstar. That was firmly cemented the following year with the Was-produced N'ssi N'ssi, which mixed funk, rock, and an Egyptian orchestra behind Khaled's persuasive voice and winning smile for a major commercial breakthrough in France, winning a European, as well as North African, audience. In 1996, he hit again with Sahra, whose first single, "Aicha," written for his daughter, gave Khaled a French number one hit. A mix of producers gave varying sounds, with French hip-hoppers Akhenton & Imhotep proving the hardest on the track "Oran Marseille" with its rapid-fire rap. There was even some reggae on "Mektoubi," which merged relatively seamlessly with the North African sound. While well-received critically, it sold little in the U.S. however, unlike France, where the album became Khaled's biggest success. Perhaps the moment that justified his title of King of Rai, however, came in 1999, when he headlined the 1-2-3 Soleils concert in Paris (which led to the album of the same name), over Rachid Taha and Faudel. It was the biggest Algerian show ever staged in France and left no doubt that Khaled remained Rai's hottest attraction. 2000 brought Kenza and a change of producer, as former prog rocker Steve Hillage helped bring a more organic feel to the proceedings. A smash in Europe, once again it did little business in the U.S. - Chris Nickson


1989 Kutche Stern's
1991 Khaled Cohiba
1993 N'ssi N'ssi Cohiba
1994 En Algerie, Vol. 2 Club Arabe
1994 En Algerie, Vol. 1 Club Arabe
1994 Hada Raykoum Stern's Music
1994 Young Khaled MDE
1996 Sahra Barclay
1998 Together Terrascape
2000 Hafla [live] Polygram
2000 Monstres Sacres du Rai Sonodisc
2000 Aiysha Movie Play
2000 Kenza Ark 21
2000 1,2,3 Soleils CAIMAN
2000 Elle Ne Peut Pas Vivre Sans Lui! Best Music
2001 El Lil Ou Nour Records
2001 Ya Taleb Creon
Fuir, Mais Ou? Celluloid
Moule El Kouchi Celluloid
Khaled Hafla Musicrama