Cheb Nacim and DJ Naz
The Magnet, Hardman Street
15th July 2006
Reviewed by
As part of the 2006 Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, a flavoursome party
night took place last Saturday, featuring Cheb Nacim and DJ Naz. A small
gathering of around sixty people of mixed culture and age enjoyed and
celebrated a fusion of North African and Arabian music.
Cheb Nacim is a six piece collective with musicians from Morocco, Paris
and London who come together to form and play their music. The lead vocalist
Nacim is termed a Rai singer, his brother Sofiyan (who lives in Paris)
plays keyboards. Rachid is the drummer who has beat skins for eighteen
years and states he can play any drum. Dan plays a mean bass whilst Ben
lives the percussion section. Yboalam, seated, plays a hand made Arabic
tabla darboka drum. The sound is altogether ‘experienced skill’,
from a group of performers who have worked together for many years and
know each other so well that they only rehearse just before they play
a live gig. People watching and listening jigged and swayed on the dancefloor
and there was the air of comradeship apparent amongst the youth present.
Superflow hip swinging girls got on the floor for DJ Naz, resident music
maestro for World Music Promotions with his style of good ground level
of mixed chill ambience and high vibrancy keeping the energy up tempo.
There were too few revellers to stir the real magic that was bubbling
at this event, and the absence of authentic eastern dancers in costume
was perhaps an ‘oversight’, but it would have added that extra
‘spark’. The potential for ‘the scene’ is there.
For more information sneak a peak at World Music Promotion at
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