• Music

    Lounès Matoub – Lettre Ouverte Aux​.​.​. (25th Anniversary)

    June 7, 2023 - By 

    Lounès Matoub was the controversial voice of a generation of Algerian Kabyle people.  He was brutally assassinated on June 25, 1998, but his work lives on.  From Elmir Records’ Bandcamp site: “In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of his assassination, Elmir offers the very first vinyl edition of the reference album Lettre ouverte aux…; enriched with a 28-page booklet including biographical elements, the transcription of the poems and their analysis, as well as archival photos and facsimiles that suggest to the listener a complete immersion in one of the poet’s masterpieces. An emblematic album that testifies to the immense talent…

  • Music

    Etran de L’Aïr – Agadez

    February 28, 2022 - By 

    Thanks to a bit of luck and our friends at Sahel Sounds, I was fortunate enough to obtain an album by Nigerien (no, not Nigerian) troupe and stars of the local wedding music scene, Etran de L’Aïr (or Stars of the Aïr region).  From their Bandcamp site: “Recorded at home in Agadez with a mobile studio, their eponymous album stays close to the band’s roots. Over a handful of takes, in a rapid-fire recording session, “Agadez” retains all the energy of a party. Their message too is always close to home. Tchingolene (“Tradition”) recalls the nomad camps, with a modern…