Two of the most overworked words in contemporary jazz criticism are "fusion" and "soundscape". The former is routinely applied to any music incorporating elements from ostensibly discrete stylistic or cultural traditions, the latter to music in which the overall aural effect is thought to be as important as its individual constituents; each can serve to mask critical confusion on being presented with a hodgepodge, an arbitrary mix of sounds and textures gathered magpie-fashion, more for their superficial attractiveness than from any deep conviction that they will form an indispensable part of a satisfying artistic whole.Nguyên Lê’s music in general - and Maghreb & Friends in particular - irresistibly brings both words to mind, but its richness, originality and sheer integrity ensure that each can be used in its...
BesetzungNguyên Lê - el. & ac. Guitars, fretless bass, vietnamese zither, programming
Karim Ziad - drums, gumbri, perc (karkabous, taarijet, bendir, derbuka, tablas), vocals
Michel Alibo - electric bass
Bojan Zulfikarpasic - acoustic piano
B’net Houariyat :
Zahra Bani, Kadija Haliba, Malika Rhami, Saïda Madrani, Halima Zaiter - vocals & perc (taarijet, bendir, naakkous, tar)
Wolfgang Puschnig - alto sax
Paolo Fresu - trumpet
Alain Debiossat - soprano sax
Stefano Di Battista - alto & soprano sax
Mokhtar Samba – drums
Cheb Mami - accordion-synth
Djemaï Abdenour - mandola, algerian banjo
Mejdoub Ftati – violin
Aziz Sahmaoui – vocals
Mohamed Menni - vocals, perc (taarijet, bendir, derbuka)
Mehdi Askeur – vocals
Huong Thanh - vietnamese vocals
Hao Nhien - vietnamese flute
Gaëlle Hervé – vocals
Marielle Hervé – vocals
Jean Jacques Avenel – kora
Aly Wagué - african Peul flute & vocals
Recorded and mixed by Hervé le Guil at Studio Gimmick, Yerres assisted by Mallory Maurice, Pedja Babic & François "Do" Delean, February & March 1998
B'net Houariyat recorded by Antoine Illouz at Studio L'Usine, Arceuil assisted by Cécile, November 4, 1997
pre & additional recordings by Nguyên Lê at Studio Louxor, Paris Barbès, January to March 1998
Mastered by Radu Marinescu at Liquid Gold
Produced by Nguyên Lê and Karim Ziad
