"Sahra" - Khaled

For me, this is THE quintessential Khlaed album of all time. It combines many different styles of music from around the globe, each piece masterfully written. The gritty voice of Cheb Khaled is unbelievably beautiful, and highly entertaining. I do not speak Arabic, but the lyrics are great to listen to. What's nice about this album is that Khaled combines some Spanish (Ki Kounti with Saul Hernandez) and French (Aicha and Oran Marseille) into the record. The title song is particularly good. Sahra combines strings of an Arabic flare with some upbeat dance rhythms that make it a very catchy tune, along with the synthesizers and percussion. I do not particularly care for rap, but the IAM solo on "Oran Marseille" is REALLY entertaining. Plus, it's not offensive when you don't understand a word of French rap. Other notable songs on this alum include the classic "Aicha", the beautifully orchestrated "Mektoubi" (complete with a great horn section and sax solo) and "Ki Kounti" which combines traditional Arabic music with typical Spanish music with a funky flare. This is a great album. Every tune is very catchy, and it's gtreat music for the heart and soul.

eclectic and electric

There is a subtle jazzy sound to this CD when compared to some of Khaled's other releases, as well as a mix of styles, but this master of the rai genre excels at them all. Some superb musicians are included, and I especially like "Detni Essekra", which reminds me of a tango, with its emphasis on piano (Boyan Zulfikapasic), stringbass (Bernard Paganotti) and accordion (Philippe Eidel).
"Ki Kounti" is another gem; recorded in Los Angeles, it is a duet with Saul Hernandez, composer and lead singer for Mexico's well known rock band Jaguares, and is sung partially in Spanish.
Three tracks were recorded in Jamaica, and have a marvelous bouncy reggae feel to them: "Lillah" has a terrific brass accompaniment, "Ouelli El Darek" nifty background vocals by the "I Threes", and "Mektoubi" is an all-out big band number.

My two favorites would be "Wahrane Wahrane", which like a traditional Arabic pop song has a string arrangement similar to what one would have heard backing the classic Egyptian singers of a generation ago, and the final track, "Hey Ouedi", with its mystical quality, is quite thrilling, with instruments seeming to imitate the sound of ululation.
"Oran Marseille" with rap group IAM, only works half-way for me (I like the Khaled parts and the instrumentation), but perhaps that is because I do not care for rap music. "Aisha" is a signature song for Khaled, and always great to hear.

Khaled is a pioneer of rai music, and his title of "King of Rai" is well deserved; with his gritty expressive voice, he has brought this music to every corner of the earth. Also recommended is his CD "Kutche", and the live performance album with Faudel and Rachid Taha, "1, 2, 3 Soleils".
Khaled co-wrote all the songs except "Hey Ouedi", which he wrote alone, the sound is excellent, the insert foldout has recording info but no liner notes or lyrics, and total time is 51'51.

Inventive, rich, hypnotic

Sahra is the "chef d'ouevre" of Khaled's work. Sophisticated arrangements, varied melodies and cultural influences enhance his emotive and sensual voice. It's a must have for his fans although it is probably less "party friendly" than his other CDs for those who want to dance with the music.