I was in Tangier recently, switched the TV on and saw a normal Berber folk group doing their stuff on fiddles and drums. Then the female singer opened her mouth and out came the most outrageously autotuned melisma I've ever heard. Walking through the streets afterwards it seems at least half of the pop songs you hear in the bazaars and souks are tweaked with Autotune.
Autotune gets a bad press from 'real music' fans (I'd love to hear a flamenco singer use it, but they would probably be crucified by purists) but I think it sounds great on vocal glissandos and Mariah Carey-type vocal acrobatics - and Arab/berber singing uses those all the time. Anyway, I've been looking for some of this stuff and here's a few of the things I've found
Fatayet: Typically cheap video featuring a very nice, highly tweaked love duet.
Cheba Djenet is the Cher of Berber autotune, as she apparently started the craze. This isn't her on the video, it's Lebanese popstrel Haifa Wehbe of whom we're all very fond round here.
Ahouzar Jedba: Carpets, dancers, a fiddle, drums and voice altering software from Morocco.
Cheb Wahid: typical north African rural-themed pop given a twist with voice modulating technology
Cheb Adil : A chaabi song by cheb adil. Terrible video and pretty standard autotune but I like the organ solos.
Cheb Adil el Miloudi: Obviously not the guy above, this guy's huge and this song has a beautiful extended intro. Check the cassette ad at the end!
More vocal insanity from Cheba Djenet. great tune.
Statia: Minimal autotune on this, but I love the oud. Please don't ask me what is going on the video. They pop into a cafe for a shawarma, she trims his beard while he's asleep and then it all kicks off with potions and a holy man.
Autotune gets a bad press from 'real music' fans (I'd love to hear a flamenco singer use it, but they would probably be crucified by purists) but I think it sounds great on vocal glissandos and Mariah Carey-type vocal acrobatics - and Arab/berber singing uses those all the time. Anyway, I've been looking for some of this stuff and here's a few of the things I've found
Fatayet: Typically cheap video featuring a very nice, highly tweaked love duet.
Cheba Djenet is the Cher of Berber autotune, as she apparently started the craze. This isn't her on the video, it's Lebanese popstrel Haifa Wehbe of whom we're all very fond round here.
Ahouzar Jedba: Carpets, dancers, a fiddle, drums and voice altering software from Morocco.
Cheb Wahid: typical north African rural-themed pop given a twist with voice modulating technology
Cheb Adil : A chaabi song by cheb adil. Terrible video and pretty standard autotune but I like the organ solos.
Cheb Adil el Miloudi: Obviously not the guy above, this guy's huge and this song has a beautiful extended intro. Check the cassette ad at the end!
More vocal insanity from Cheba Djenet. great tune.
Statia: Minimal autotune on this, but I love the oud. Please don't ask me what is going on the video. They pop into a cafe for a shawarma, she trims his beard while he's asleep and then it all kicks off with potions and a holy man.
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