You Are Mine is the debut album by the Algerian musician Chaba Fadela.[2][3] It was released in 1988.[4] "N'sel Fik (You Are Mine)" was sung with Fadela's ex-husband; it had been an international hit.[5] The album is also referred to as pop-raï.[6][7] Fadela supported You Are Mine with a North American tour.[8]
| You Are Mine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Raï | |||
| Label | Mango[1] | |||
| Producer | Rachid Baba Ahmed | |||
| Chaba Fadela chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editRecorded in Algeria, the album was produced by Rachid Baba Ahmed.[9][10] Fadela recorded her vocals first, with the musical backing added by Ahmed.[11] Ahmed mixed instruments such as the derbouka with synthesizer sounds.[12] The title track first appeared internationally on the Rai Rebels compilation.[13]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| Chicago Tribune | [15] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[16] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [17] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [10] |
Robert Christgau called "N'Sel Fik" "rai's most incandescent and universal moment, one of the greatest singles of the decade," writing that "Oran superproducer Rachid [is] outdoing rather than compromising himself as he aims for the bigger time"; Christgau also wrote that he considered the title track to be the single of the year for 1988.[16][18] The New York Times wrote that "Fadela's voice pours out throaty vulnerability, her notes sliding and breaking in straightforward productions."[13]
The Washington Post praised "Fadela's roughly sensual voice."[11] The Chicago Tribune wrote that the music "builds from a hypnotic minor-key tradition by adding vibrant African and Western dance rhythms, rich French and Spanish melodies, high-tech instrumentation and scandalous lyrics."[15] The Sydney Morning Herald deemed the album "an Arabic music that uses modern instrumentation and pertinent lyrics to upset its own society."[19]
AllMusic noted that "'N'sel Fik', by Fadela and her husband Cheb Sahraoui, is the biggest Algerian hit in the country's history."[14]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "N'sel Fik (You Are Mine)" | |
| 2. | "Nebki Ouahdi (Crying Alone)" | |
| 3. | "Ateni Bniti (Part 1) (Give Me Back My Daughter)" | |
| 4. | "Ateni Bniti (Part 2)" | |
| 5. | "Ha-Liyaouana Alach (Why Does This Happen to Me)" | |
| 6. | "Dja Yadhak (He Came Smiling)" |
References
edit- ^ Lavie, Smadar; Swedenburg, Ted (July 22, 2013). Displacement, Diaspora, and Geographies of Identity. Duke University Press.
- ^ Walljasper, Jay (Sep 1989). "Recommended Recordings". Utne Reader. No. 35. p. 22.
- ^ Snowden, Don (4 June 1989). "Women Make Inroads in Non-Western Pop". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 58.
- ^ "Chaba Fadela Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Gilmour, Rachael; Steinitz, Tamar (August 23, 2017). Multilingual Currents in Literature, Translation and Culture. Routledge.
- ^ World Music: The Rough Guide. Vol. 1. Rough Guides Ltd. 1999. p. 423.
- ^ Jones, Christa (February 2013). "Raï and Politics Do Not Mix: Musical Resistance during the Algerian Civil War". The French Review. 86 (3): 476.
- ^ Stout, Gene (July 6, 1990). "Rakumi Arts' 1990 summer series concludes...". What's Happening. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. 18.
- ^ Burnes, John (9 June 1989). "'You Are Mine' Chaba Fadela". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. F5.
- ^ a b MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 258.
- ^ a b Brown, Joe (12 Apr 1989). "Sirens of the Old World". The Washington Post. p. B7.
- ^ Toombs, Mikel (July 10, 1990). "Touring Algerian couple puts passion into hybrid African music". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. D6.
- ^ a b Pareles, Jon (2 Apr 1989). "From Paris, Algerian Pop". The New York Times. p. A30.
- ^ a b "Chaba Fadela You Are Mine". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Heim, Chris (13 Apr 1989). "Rave recordings". Chicago Tribune. p. 15A.
- ^ a b "Chaba Fadela". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 360.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (Feb 28, 1989). "Dancing on a Logjam: Singles Rool in a World Up for Grabs". The Village Voice.
- ^ Barber, Lynden (January 24, 1989). "As an example of East-meets-West...". News and Features. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 14.