Khaled – N’ssi N’ssi

Cheb (young) Khaled was a rebel in his day, part of a generation of Algerian punks whose music blended political lyrics with synths and drum machines during the golden ‘80s era of Raï. By the time he recorded N’ssi N’ssi in the ’90s, he had become the bestselling Arabic-language singer in history, dropped the Cheb, and was exploring a world of new sounds from international collaborations. Varying tracks were produced by Detroit’s Don Was (Wass Not Wass) and French “world music” expert Phillipe Eidel. Eidel added a more lush, North African string orientation, while Was’ tracks are pure-pop full of funky bass and R&B horns. Khaled’s voice had matured as well, giving him assurance without losing that rebel edge. This recording had a lot of detractors when it came out, deriding it for being a betrayal of the rai “tradition,” but remains an important album in the modern development of Raï.

Recommended – Full Listen