Audiogrammes

I recently discovered an amazing track. It’s the official anthem of a beautiful group of people. For a while I thought it was their little secret but since they are very giving, they’ll probably be happy that I’m going to upload it here.
The only thing we knew was that it was a guy called Cheb Abid (Obeid?) / الشاب عبيد
Anyway, so I got a copy and started playing it in my DJ sets. It felt like that moment in High Fidelity when Jack Black decides to sell a few copies of the Beta Band’s Dry The Rain and clients in the record store start tapping their feet to the music and asking what it is.
People go crazy when I play it (no, it’s not a club banger) and ask me who/what it is. Plus it’s not only a catchy song, it’s a heartbreakingly beautiful one.
Everybody’s been asking me to give it to them. They never have a USB flash drive and they’ve been trying desperately to find it online. So I’ve decided to post it here it is in all it’s glory!

And here’s my take on the lyrics (I’m sure there are some mistakes, so if you have corrections, please send them)


تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
بندهلك مرة و ثنين
ليه عصوتي ما تردي؟
بندهلك مرة و ثنين
ليه عصوتي ما تردي؟
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
حني عليلة و بنظرة
مري علي و تعدي
كل مرة تترك حسرة
و دموعي تنزل عخدي
كل مرة تترك حسرة
و دموعي تنزل عخدي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
هاملني و قلبي شريك
تاركني النار و غلبي
يلومونه ليه ما عاديك
و عهجرانك و قلبي
يلومونه ليه ما عاديك
و عهجرانك و قلبي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي


I did some intensive googling and managed to find another track by the guy as well as an article on him from 2007! He’s Palestinian but was called Il Cheb because of “his music’s North African flavor”





Let’s stay in that mood. Here’s A Vava Inouva, Idir‘s most famous song, which translates roughly as Oh Father Inouva. I’m trying to remember in which Duraid Lahham film it was used.





Well I’ll just throw in two more songs into the mix. Willis Earl Beal‘s Monotony from his forthcoming album Acousmatic Sorcery. Just a man and his guitar (and his voice).





And we’ll wrap it up with Andy McKee. Didn’t know him until a few hours ago. I don’t know how impressive he is to listen to on a stereo, might turn into elevator music pretty quickly. But watching him on Youtube is amazing. And yes, I know, it’s a Toto cover… Shushhh!!!