Rhany - Un Mot de Toi (artist: rah-nee song: un moh day twah)
Rhany was born in 1972 in Marrakesh, Morocco to a Moroccan father and French-Algerian mother. His family moved to Tunisia when he was a child, and by the age of 14 he was already performing as a singer. While he was raised with the beats and melodies of North Africa and had already become quite famous as a raï artist, he developed a passion for Latin music and sought to unite his two loves. A fan of Cuban artists like Compay Segundo and Ibrahim Ferrer, Rhany went to the source, recording his album Alamtini in the same studio in Havana where the legendary Buena Vista Social Club albums were produced. The song “Un Mot de Toi” (One Word From You) is a pulsing, acoustic dance piece that fuses North African percussion and oud riffs with a swinging Cuban piano montuno and subtle trumpet punctuations.Tasteful and understated, the track successfully unites two disparate genres without calling overt attention to the blend. Rhany sings in French and Arabic,“One word from you my beauty / One word from you my queen.”

Mohamed Mounir - Hanina (artist: muh-HAH-mud moo-NEER song: hah-NEE-nah)
Mohamed Mounir, one of Egypt’s most popular artists, is from the city of Aswan in southern Egypt and is of Nubian descent. Nubian culture is a bridge between Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa and Nubian music has rhythms, melodies and instrumentation that incorporates elements from both regions. Mounir moved to Cairo in the 1970s to study art at Cairo University, and soon began performing songs from his region in local clubs. His casual dress, Nubian dialect and unfamiliar rhythms and dance moves took the Cairo audiences by surprise, but he soon overcame their initial resistance. His success helped pave the way for other Nubian artists to earn wide acceptance. Mounir has starred in numerous films and televisions shows, and was also one of the first Egyptian artists to be heavily influenced by Jamaican reggae. Mounir sings “Hanina” (Kindhearted) in a mixture of Arabic and the Nubian dialect. “Your distance has made me crazy / When the night comes / When all others take their rest / I try to strengthen myself to face the fire of the tears that burn my body / Oh my kindhearted queen, if only you were nearer to me.”

Cheb Mami - Viens Habibi (artist: sheb MAH-mee song: vyen hah-BEE-bee)
Cheb Mami is one of the most popular Algerian raï singers. Originally from Saïda, a small town south of Oran, Mami has collaborated with Sting (on the international hit “Desert Rose”), Ziggy Marley, Susheela Raman, and Italian crooner Zucchero, among others. Mami is known as “The Prince of Raï,” although many believe his vocal abilities and creativity make him a contender to the throne held by “The King of Rai,” Khaled. All issues of royal ascendance aside, Mami is an unquestionably gifted singer who has helped bring the popular music of his native Algeria in to wider acceptance. As with Khaled, Mami has openly fused raï with other popular music styles such as hip-hop, funk and reggae. “Viens Habibi” (Come, My Love) was co-written and features a guest appearance by Charles Aznavour, one of France’s living legends.“Baby, I love you, I adore you / Come and carry love in the palm of your hands / Come, my love.”