Genre
Raï. A compilation drawn from two cassette albums originally released in Algeria, the record presents Zahouania's raw, emotionally charged vocal style against the electrified arrangements characteristic of Algerian raï of the period - synthesizers, electric guitar, and percussion.
Release
Released on 7 April 1988 by Mango Records, a subsidiary of Island Records. The album features a selection of tracks from two cassettes originally released in Algeria, compiled for the international market. All songs were written by Zahouania and R. Baba Ahmed.
Production
Produced, arranged, mixed, programmed, and with instrumentation by Island Art. Recorded at Studio Rachid and Fethi, Tlemcen, Algeria; mixed at Studio Logo, Paris, France.
Reception
The album was well received in world music circles as an authentic document of the Algerian raï sound reaching Western audiences for the first time. The album contributed to the growing international recognition of raï alongside contemporaneous releases by Cheb Khaled, Chaba Fadela, and Cheb Mami on the same Mango label.
Chaba Zahouania
Cheba Zahouania, born Halima Mazzi on May 15, 1959, in Oran, Algeria, is one of the leading female voices of Algerian raï. She began her career in 1981, performing at weddings, and achieved recognition in 1986 with "Khâli ya khâli," a duet with Cheb Hamid. During the summer of 1987, she recorded "Beraka" with Cheb Hasni, which was considered provocative by Algerian standards and brought both artists considerable notoriety. Her family had forbidden her to perform or appear in public, but she persisted against these obstacles to become one of the most prominent female figures in a genre dominated by male artists. Following the assassination of Cheb Hasni in Oran on 29 September 1994, she left Algeria and settled in France. She was able to return to Algeria in 1999 and recorded there again, including a duet with Cheb Abdou. In 2006, she began singing about religious subjects after being invited to Mecca on her first pilgrimage by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Her career spans more than four decades and she is regarded as one of the defining female voices of the raï genre.
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