Various Artists / Rough Guide To Morocco
Album: Rough Guide To Morocco   Collection:World
Artist:Various Artists   Added:Feb 2012
Label:World Music Network  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2012-02-25 Pull Date: 2012-04-28 Charts: Reggae/World
Week Ending: Apr 22 Apr 15 Apr 8 Apr 1 Mar 25 Mar 18 Mar 11 Mar 4
Airplays: 3 3 2 1 1 2 2 2

Recent Airplay
1. Jan 05, 2022: New World Disorder (rebroadcast from Jun 2, 2012)
Boolandrix
4. Jun 02, 2012: New World Disorder
Boolandrix
2. Mar 22, 2014: Music Casserole
Boolandrix
5. Apr 21, 2012: New World Disorder
Sah Raoui
3. Jun 09, 2012: New World Disorder
Ayli Ayli (Feat. Outlandish)
6. Apr 19, 2012: Arabology
Sah Raoui

Album Review
Sadie O.
Reviewed 2012-02-12
Rough Guide to Morocco
Reviewed by Sadie O., 2/12/12
Variety of Moroccan musical styles, from very traditional to Hip-Hop, with quite a few stylistic mashups (which are the tracks I like best – you may differ…)
CD 1:
1. 4:19 ***groovy but trance-like Gnawa groove, gradually adding Hip-Hop elements, turns into syncopated bass-driven sway with Morocco’s first rapper.
2. 8:29 **very pretty stringed instrument intro (mandal), high and low vocal duet, subtle, relaxed, seemingly timeless. Speeds up at end.
3. 5:22 ***cinematic, echo-y orchestral intro, turning funky electronic after a minute, with traditional sounding vocal duet. Glitchy. Interesting mashup.
4. 6:50 **traditional stringed instrument (lothar: 4-stringed lute) solo intro, then slow hand drum beat, vocal duet. Berber love song, very “folky.”
5. 5:19 ***vocal mic check in English, fuzzy Gnawa boom-bap, rap in English. Electric guitar, electronics, traditional Moroccan elements – interesting.
6. 5:24 ***popular “Chaabi” music, attractive sound, uptempo backbeat, vocal chorus, acoustic guitar with some western instruments (notably electric bass) and hand drums. Speeds up during song, but stays pretty.
7. 7:22 **classic solo lower-key stringed Gnawa intro, African Sufi trance music. Clackers start almost a minute into the song, rough vocals and chorus.
8. 4:37 **electronics intro, then very slow boom-bap. Sounds very “Western” but crew raps in Arabic.
9. 6:09 **far-away bowed instrument, solo vocal lament with very intricate flourishes. Pretty flute… Apparently Jewish-Moroccan with Andalucian musical influences. Very sparse and traditional.
10. 4:58 ***”Chaabi-groove” – sweet combination of Western pop/funk with traditional styles. Swingy, a bit of a Latin groove.
11. 5:47 **traditional flutes and hand drums. These are the guys “discovered” by Brian Jones back in the 60’s.
CD 2 (Groupe Magazan): Modern Moroccan-Western mashup. Vocalist sounds rather like Khaled. Definitely NOT all sounding the same…
1. 3:57 **a French café feel, with a bit of club funk.
2. 4:26 **long electric intro, sort of Euro-80’s feel, vocals both in Arabic and English. And in Spanish! Huh!
3. 4:22 ***complex beat and musical influences, uptempo. Bit of Gnawa, bit of Latin tinge, bit of Rai, bit of Western pop.
4. 3:50 ***pretty, complex rhythm, pronounced Latin inflection, funky wah-wah guitar.
5. 4:10 **very downtempo, wah-way guitar and violins. Quite complex, again, changes tempo and feel a few times.
6. 3:10 **pop sound, a bit jazzy-Latiny, pretty. Ends with electronic echoes.
7. 4:14 ***electric guitars and orchestral bits, and electronics. Upbeat, electric guitar and violin, Rai stylings.
8. 3:39 **upbeat, gnawa clackers and Celtic tune. Interesting mashup.
9. 2:17 **café=style piano, Islamic chanting vocals (Sufi?)
10. 3:08 **elaborate guitar line, café-jazzy instrumental. Gets a bit of a ska back-beat. Didn’t see that coming!
11. 4:15 ***almost heavy metal bass and guitar chords, but with a funky beat and electronics.

Track Listing
 ArtistTrack Name
1. Fnaïre, Salah Edin Sah Raoui
2. Compagnies Musicales Du Tafilalet Compagnie El Hamri/Ya Rijal L'bled
3. Amira Saqati El Aloua
4. Les Imazighen Iberdane
5. U-Cef Boolandrix
6. Lemchaheb Moulana (Notre Chant)
7. Maalem Said Damir & Gnawa Allstars Bania Bambara
8. H-Kayne Jil Jdid
9. Samy Elmaghribi Mal Hbibi Malou
10. Mazagan Ya Labess
11. Master Musicians Of Joujouka Mali Mal Hal M'halmaz
12. Groupe Mazagan Abdelillah
13. Groupe Mazagan Ayli Ayli (Feat. Outlandish)
14. Groupe Mazagan La Vignette
15. Groupe Mazagan Atay
16. Groupe Mazagan Ya Sidi Chafi (Duo)
17. Groupe Mazagan Allah Allah
18. Groupe Mazagan Sogui Belati
19. Groupe Mazagan Salamo Salam
20. Groupe Mazagan Asmae Allah
21. Groupe Mazagan Instrumental
22. Groupe Mazagan Ayli Ayli (Solo)