The Official Needles and Grooves 1001 Album Generator Project (aka Preachin’ about the Preachers if today’s selection sucks)

12/20/23
85a912b2d21c4f675db6b7fa7bfdf7ad152e67ab

Khaled - Kenza



www.allmusic.com

Kenza - Khaled | Album | AllMusic

Kenza by Khaled released in 2000. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com www.allmusic.com
 
Here’s some info from when @AndySlash pulled it in the other thread;
AndySlash said:
85a912b2d21c4f675db6b7fa7bfdf7ad152e67ab


no idea what this was before i listened. khaled is algerian, and pretty much every album overview calls his primary genre rai , blending sounds of traditional algerian/islamic music with modern instrumentation and techniques. what this album is at its core, though, is a straight up modern pop record. immediately i was reminded of sting's desert rose, and sure enough that song features a rai singer and is pretty much a clear example of rai music. reading a bit about the genre's more recent history, it's a form of music that expresses modern themes, themes that often go against fundamental religious beliefs, and this has obviously not sat well with those fundamentalists in power- khaled had to move to france and another popular rai singer living in algeria was outright murdered because their music challenged those beliefs. it seems to me this record is on the list less for the music itself - sleekly produced 90s pop r&b with african rhythms that might not stand out all that much were it sung in english (though the success of desert rose obviously tests this hypothesis), plus a cover of imagine - than for the wider meaning and social importance of its own existence. sometimes it takes a large amount of testicular fortitude to make and release a record you know could get you killed and, as you can see in the image above, khaled here might need help getting out of his car since he must be weighed down by his giant balls.
Click to expand...
 
I’m debating grabbing the cd because this YouTube stream is um… well why I hate YouTube streams of music. Sound is all over the place and a couple of the transfers are god awful.
 
Here’s a piece NPR did on Khaled as part of their 50 great voices series in 2010:


I’m checking out his self-titled album now from 1991, produced by Don Was of all people and the album that made him part of the international scene.
 
My initial thought was that Kenza was so 90’s sounding that it was maybe easier for us to palate… however, listening to Khaled - this album is much more steeped in Western Sound. It’s kind of a wonder that this wasn’t a bigger deal. I quite like it.
 
Michael Brook also worked as a producer on the Khaled album. Some of you might recognize that name from @panino‘s selection for the N&G club:

Needles & Grooves AoTM /// Vol. 18 - December 2020 /// Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Michael Brook – Mustt Mustt

short intro to create some context for this guess thread. It is my AOTM, so I probably should share some more about who I am, since my presence on this forum is limited to few threads.... I am Italian, and I have grown up in a musical context that is very different from the greatest majority of...
www.needlesandgrooves.com www.needlesandgrooves.com
 
Unlike his DJ namesake, I actually like this dude’s music and will probably spend some time with his discography. I really like the self-titled release, this song starts off a little adult contemporary but when that flamenco guitar kicks in followed closely by the tango like accordion… chef’s kiss:

Open Qobuz

open.qobuz.com open.qobuz.com
 
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