CD Review: Karima Nayt's 'Quoi D'Autre?'

Karima Nayt
Quoi D'Autre? (What Else?)
Ajabu

Algerian-native, Karima Nayt, is a more traditionally-inclined Kabyle singer than her fellow countrywoman, Iness Mezel. The folkish, fluid melodies are interrupted by nomadic guitars and upbeat percussion spanning North Africa's camel routes, France's guitar music, and the vocal melisma of Ofra Haza. Karima's mature voice floats effortlessly across the tracks with a bit of reservation to allow the instruments some room to expand on the vocal patterns. The sincerity in Karima's voice resembles the same clarity as Souad Massi with the sensuality of France's Carla Bruni. At any rate, Karima's songs are heartfelt, classic, and timeless. The thirteen tracks span Karima's eclectic and linguistic ethnic background. Some of the songs are reminiscent of Spanish, South American, or Portuguese-type music with a strong, classical--almost fado-esque--presence. Nevertheless, the music is not a fusion project, but a wonderful journey through the folk music traditions of Algeria's infamous Mediterranean coastline. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Iness Mezel's 'Beyond The Trance'

Iness Mezel

Beyond The Trance

Wrasse Records

The Tamazight and French language singer with Algerian and Italian ancestral connections shares her latest release, Beyond The Trance, with the world. An album the pushes the boundary of trance into an environment brimming with rock, folk, and blues elements. It is no wonder producer Justin Adams (Tinariwen, Lo Jo, Natasha Atlas, and others) had a hand in the production, as it possesses a progressive Kabyle rock feel with some wayfaring. Of course, some songs do incorporate trance elements, including "Strange Blues", "Respect", "Chez Noo", "Cool Yiwen", "Semer", and of course, "Trance". The quieter, more reflective French-tinged "Tahkei't" showcases her vocal versatility. "Yhimlilit" is a percussion-based North African song of thanks in the vein of Djur Djura or the late-Ofra Haza. The cool sounds of Kabylia come alive with Iness' vocal mastery of ear-friendly incantations. All songs are sung in French and Tamazight. This is the perfect album for anyone interested in more modernized music with historic roots from Algeria and France. ~ Matthew Forss