Moh Alileche | Dallam-Dougou | Nora Roman & the Border Busters | MC Rai | Silk Road Ramblers |
Moh Alileche writes and performs songs that about the struggles, people and culture of his native Kabylia (Algerian Amazigh-Berber region). Carrying the torch of socio-political songwriting from the late Matoub Lounes, Moh continues to raise awareness of the situation of Imazighen in North Africa, while spreading joyful melodies and grooves.
I play benidr and sing with Moh's ensemble, occasionally doubling on oud, gnibri, bass and guinbri.
Buy Moh Alileche's music here:
Led by composer and cellist (and long-time pal) Raul Rothblatt, Dallam-Dougou mixes sweet Guinean melodies with driving Hungarian-Gypsy rhythms with fantastic style. Since I joined the group on guinbri and percussion in 2006, there's some Gnawa-Moroccan stuff in the mix as well. Before I joined the group, they recorded the album "New Destiny", which features the song "On My Way", which I had a hand in crafting.
Long time San Francisco activist Nora Roman has assembled a new band: The Border Busters. Her original, frontera fracturing political music fuses Latino, Arabic and U.S. lyrics and rhythms into something new.
Nora recently released a 12 song CD, “I Belong to No Man’s State”. I add bass, oud, qarqaba, Moroccan clapping and vocals on various tracks, and I helped arrange a couple of the more Arabic-influenced tracks. Oh, and I played clarinet at the CD release party!
Stream or buy Nora Roman & the Border Busters' music here:
find Nora Roman & the Border Busters here:
Authentic California rai music! MC Rai brings an infectious voice, fiery stage presence, and multi-cultural lyrics to West Coast stages. When he needs that Gnawa edge to push the mix toward the trance-inducing, I'm there. I also play guinbri on the track "Ya Siadi" on his album "Raivolution.
Listen to "Ya Siadi" by MC Rai here:
Magnaniomous bandleader Kevin Cloud leads a rambling multifarious collective of musicians "through dusty deserts and glamorous gardens, heading for the shining event-horizon..." When the paths move thru North Africa, I jump on the caravan with oud, gnibri, percussion and vox.
find Kevin Cloud and Silk Road Ramblers here: