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Concert Review- Rachid Taha, 7/19/01 at Village Underground, NYC
Hot on the heels of Mondo Melodia labelmate Cheb Mami's appearance at Brooklyn's Prospect Park, Rachid Taha treated an enthusiastic and jam- packed Village Underground to a night of his impassioned, no-holds barred brand of Algerian rai. While the show lacked the size and spectacle of the aforementioned Mami show, the buzz surrounding this show turned out to be very real as Rachid and his band delivered one of the most powerful and energetic sets I've seen in quite some time. Though his music is no stranger to American dancefloors, having been popular with DJs for some time--many in attendance wondered aloud beforehand just what Rachid would be like live on stage. After a delay of over an hour, heightening the anticipation, Rachid and his band finally emerged onto the stage of the hot, smoky club. As the group slowly built the opening vamp into a frenzy, it was clear that if it was energy the audience sought, they would surely not be disappointed.
Their feet firmly entrenched in their North African roots, Taha's band- electric guitar, bass, electric oud, two percussionists, trap drums, and synthesizer- branch out far beyond the confines of any one style, weaving a pulsating tapestry of rai, funk, trance, rock, and otherworldly electro-Arabic fusions. In truth, Taha & co. dip in and out of so many styles it's hard to call their music any one thing, except for something entirely their own. Passages of traditional-style oud and lighting-fast percussion breaks would give way to pounding dance rhythms, only to be infused by beautifully interwoven synth-strings and guitar/oud lines, then further augmented by percussive polyrhythms and thumping, hypnotic bass. After all of this would build to a cathartic frenzy, the group would stop on a dime and seamlessly shift into the next number…
Against this sonic backdrop, Rachid commandeered the stage in a go-for-the-jugular manner that was more reminiscent of punk than pop. Rachid's throaty, soulful delivery will never be confused with the silvery tones of his aforementioned labelmate--but in this context, it's nothing short of perfect. Intense but always engaging, in between songs Rachid conversed with the multicultural crowd in Arabic, French and halting English; posed for pictures with eager admirers who managed to make their way onstage; and referred to himself as our "doctor" for this particular evening. Regardless of the ailment-- with catchy sing-along choruses, elongated trance/rai breakdowns, and edgy, visceral fury all given equal billing over the course of their two-plus hour set, there was enough musical adventure to satisfy everyone from the faithful to the curiosity-seekers in the room.
If you haven't already gathered what I'm getting at--this was a GREAT SHOW! The antithesis of many modern-day "world-fusion" artists who come off sounding too slick, or toothless, or overly reliant modern production trappings, Rachid Taha delivers his infectious rai-based blend with more grit and raw power than most of his contemporaries in any genre can muster up. Don't miss this one!
-Ed Klinger
PS- You can read Afropop Worldwide's review of Rachid Taha's "Made In Medina" by clicking here
Contributed by: Ed Klinger
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