Rachid Taha 2001.Nov.13 in London

NEWS: "Rachid Taha, the singer who blended Arabic music with rock and techno, died at the age of 59 after suffering a heart attack at his home in the Paris suburbs."

Was planning something different this week, but the sad news about Rachid Taha earlier this week made me change my mind and post one of his live/session recordings I have.

2001.Jul.07: Solidays Music Festival - Rachid Taha on stage
(photo by Julien Hekimian/Sygma/Corbis/Sygma via Getty Images)

The recording was made some months after above picture, 2001.Nov.13 at the London Jazz Festival held in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, recorded and later broadcasted (in two parts) on BBC Radio 3 by Andy Kershaw.
From the info about the concert:
"Rachid Taha a charismatic performer who mixes Algerian Rai street music with techno, funk and reggae rhythms to create a hybrid sound so good that it was banned from French radio."

TAHA-RACHID-20011113_London BBC

1st part - bc.2001.Nov.16 BBC Radio 3 Andy Kershaw
setlist: a1.Ya Rayah / a2.?? / a3.Barra Barra / a4.??
2nd part - bc.2002.May.17 BBC Radio 3 Andy Kershaw
setlist: b1.Nokta / b2.Foqt Foqt / b3.Habina / (DJ outro with songtitles)


Some good (old) info about Rachid Taha:

• Nuclear fusion - 2001.May.28, The Guardian 
• Andy Morgan writes... about Rachid Taha:  pt.1 (2009) /  pt.2 (2009) / pt.3 (2011)
• Rachid Taha 2000.April at Banán klub, Budapest - youtube *

*this is in special honour of the MEPs in the EU parliament, who this week at last took a clear stand against the anti-democratic government of Hungary!
Thank You All - And Please Continue To Stop Them!!!

remember Rachid Taha, Khaira Arby and Pap Djah together