Sofa Records and Les Disques Bongo Joe proudly present Maghreb K7 Club: Synth Raï, Chaoui & Staiif 1985-1997, a compilation of music recorded and produced between 1985 and 1997 in Lyon by musicians from the Maghreb region.
Most of Lyon’s musical scene is composed of men originating from eastern Algeria, but since the 1950s, the Croix-Rousse and Guillotière cafés have counted musicians from all over Maghreb. These cafés were social hubs, where these individuals met up weekly, playing together and sharing their everyday life experience. This compilation brings together eight tracks that were then released on audio cassettes only and offers them for the first time on vinyl!
There, the practice of music was cross-regional with different North African influences, but also with local traditions. These versatile musicians also absorbed new local influences: music within the context of immigration was a perfect school for musical cosmopolitanism. Chachacha or tango versions of some Cheikh El Hasnaoui tracks come to mind, or Mohamed Mazouni’s jerks and twists. Like their predecessors, the musicians in this compilation brilliantly integrate raï or staïfi tunes with disco aesthetics or funk guitar riffs as Nordine Staifi did.
Maghreb K7 Club: Synth Raï, Chaoui & Staiif 1985-1997, due out on the 27th of March via Sofa Records and Les Disques Bongo Joe. Discover below the artwork and pre-order the album here.
