Lila

Sidh
Felmay
World | Oct 2007

Reviews

Sadie O.
Reviewed 2007-10-29
Sidh – Lila
Reviewed by Sadie O., 10/23/07
New take on traditional Gnawa, incorporating rather jazzy sax/flute and hints of other European elements. Sidh is a young Algerian who plays the very traditional single-stringed instrument that forms the bass and a lot of the base for Gnawa, and sings beautifully. There’s quite a range from very trad to quite jazzy, but the call and response vocals are very rootsy. Mellow, pretty stuff.
No FCCs detected – all in Arabic. I like 6-8 best.
1. **quiet intro, just single stringed instrument. Hand drums and other instruments and voices join gradually. Mostly traditional Gnawa, but without the trademark clackers. Nice sax, a bit of bouzouki (?), very non-Gnawa. Speeds up like crazy at end.
2. **very restrained single string and single voice, again adding instruments. Quite mellow, but with jazzy sax and guitar. Rather a strange beauty. Again speeds up at end.
3. *solo sax intro, then hand drums and guitar – very mellow, blending together quite a few musical traditions. Rather a folky feel, mostly just the vocals are clearly from the Arabic tradition.
4. **bit of laughing intro, then Gnawa chant and hand claps. Even the sax is in the Gnawa unison call and response groove for much of the song.
5. **just the single stringed instrument (guembri?) and single voice, which is rather nice.
6. ***loping midtempo groove and clackers, classic Gnawa sound. Lyrics are the basic affirmation of Moslem faith. You can really hear what a nice combination of voices these guys have.
7. ***traditional horn and clackers. The sax seems the only non-traditional element. Very interesting stringed instrument in midsong. Long song, all sorts of interesting things happen, like vocals in unison with jazz sax…
8. ***VERY soft plucked string intro, then solo flute. Builds very gradually with call and response and a handful of instruments, subtle and pretty. Continues to build energy and a bit of speed throughout, gets jazzy in last minute or so.
9. *solo vocals, sounds like recitation of the Quran. Fantastic voice.

Recent airplay

La Ilah Illa Allah
New World DisorderDec 16, 2007
Djilala
Erin is DisorderlyNov 21, 2007
La Ilah Illa Allah
New World DisorderNov 04, 2007
Djilala, La Ilah Illa Allah, Hasna
radio randomulanceOct 30, 2007

Charting

2007-10-28 — 2007-12-30 Reggae/World
Week EndingAirplays
Dec 23 1
Nov 25 1
Nov 11 1
Nov 4 2

Track listing

1. Hasna
2. Salla Nabina
3. Shalini
4. Tura
5. Rabbi Mulay
6. La Ilah Illa Allah
7. Djilala
8. Bahammu - Hammuda
9. Al Walidine