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In this FRONTLINE/World exclusive, a San Francisco-based
world-music maestro pays homage to his Jewish and Arab musical
roots. Check out dj Cheb i Sabbah's playlist of six songs that
exemplify the rich, centuries-old traditions of Sephardic Jewish
and Arabic-Andalusian music, kept alive and informed by the immigrant
experiences of a new generation of North African musicians living
in France. |
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CHEIKH RAYMOND
 "Chant
d'Exil"
(Chant d'Exil, Magda, 1955)
From Constantine, Algeria, Cheikh Raymond is recognized
by the musicians of his generation as one of the greats,
if not the greatest. Cheikh Raymond sings about exile
from an 18th-century popular text written in the North
African literary and musical tradition known as Haouzi.
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ENRICO MACIAS
"Koum Tara"
(Hommage
à Cheikh Raymond, Trema, 1999)
The spiritual son and actual son-in-law of Cheikh Raymond
performs in a live concert with Cheb Mami, accompanied by
Taoufik Bestandji, whose grandfather was Cheikh Raymond's
teacher and master. |
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ALICE FITOUSSI
"Stekhbar"
(Trésors
de la Chanson Judéo-Arabe, Mélodie Distribution)
Alice Fitoussi was born near Constantine, Algeria, in 1916.
One of the most famous Algerian singers, she stayed in Algeria
after it won independence. She was the only Jewish singer
who interpreted Medh (a religious repertory depicting the
glories of the Prophet) for an Arab-Muslim audience. When
she performed in front of Muslim women, her orchestra of
accompanying musicians were all women, and when she performed
in front of Muslim men, her orchestra was all male. |
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REINETTE L'ORANAISE
"Qum Tara"
(Mémoires, Blue Silver, 1994)
Sultana Daoud, known as Reinette, was blind from an early
age. Reinette was from Algeria and studied with Andalusian
masters. Probably the most famous Algerian singer outside
of Algeria, Reinette's musical style was straight out of
Cordoba and Granada, cities in southern Spain with Moorish
roots. |
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SALIM HALALI
"La Danse de la Mariée"
(Salim Halali En
Algérie, Les Artistes Arabes Associés, 1990)
From Annaba, Algeria, Salim Halali is a descendant of the
Chaouia Berber tribe. The most famous "Oriental" singer,
Halali made his career in France in the 1930s, 1940s and
1970s. His style influenced a whole generation of singers,
including Enrico Macias. |
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L'ENSEMBLE NAGUILA
"Ki Echmera Chabbat"
(Chants Mystiques Séfarades, L'Empreinte Digitale, 1999)
André Taïeb lives in France and sings at the
Montpellier synagogue. This is a beautiful example of piyyutim
(liturgical poems in Hebrew), which were first developed
in Palestine and Babylonia. In the 10th century, Andalusian
Spain became the greatest productive center of piyyut.
After the expulsion of Jews from Spain during the Spanish
Inquisition of 1492, piyyutim spread from Yemen to
Tunisia and from Morocco to Aleppo, Syria.
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Read an interview with dj Cheb
i Sabbah
back to top 
For
more information about dj Cheb i Sabbah, and information about
his upcoming release on Six Degrees Records, visit http://www.chebisabbah.com/
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