Taha is an Algerian-born French musician. He is to the music of France's North African diaspora what the { Pogues became to Irish music. Both infuse traditional sounds and melodies with somewhat out of control hi-jinx, high energy and high volume. Both are influenced by The Clash. In fact both have had exClash members temporarily in the band. Strummer stepped in as vocalist during one of Shane Magowan's absences from the Pogues in the early
At this Barbican gig we were treated to exClash guitarist Mick Jones joining Taha's He's worthy band for the an uproarious Marley and welcome. Strummer
Of course they played mantle the arabised Beg, steal or "rock el
borrow to see kasbah". Not the Clash's him live. best number, but what the hell.
During the performance increasing numbers of
women from the audience
clambered onto to the stage
to dance. I had my doubts about this well-worn rockgod tactic.
Then at one point, during an extended chorus line the
percussionist was brought
to the mike by Taha (who
has only a few words of
English) to shout:
"We are for women's liberation. We are against the war on Iraq. We are for the struggle of the Palestinian people. We are against the oppression of the Israeli state".
There was little room for disagreement. The crowd roared back. The women danced on.
He's been well-received in Algeria in recent years -although, it dawned on me, perhaps not so enthusiastically by the fundamentalists who don't approve second half to inheritor of the of women dancing in
public. Taha has said that in
all his music "there is
repetition, the idea being to induce a trance". His brand of rai-funk certainly achieved this. The capacity audience was on its feet from
beginning to end.
The pounding rhythmn
section taken with his
highly charismatic stage
presence, the mesmerising
melodies and politicised
presentation reminded me
of seeing The Wailers 30
years ago.
He's a worthy inheritor of
the Marley and Strummer
mantle, even if, unlike
them, his lyrics seem to
steer clear of politics. Beg,
steal or borrow to see him
live.