Ok I hope this doesn't end up bad and I mean no disrespect to anyone on here. Let me preface by stating that often times my husband will get a word or two mixed up so maybe what he's saying isn't really what he means, you know?

That being said, one of his friends here is Algerian and gave him a cd to listen to. I forget the name of the kind of music it is but it's actually very cool and I like it, which is odd for me since I don't care much for the music he likes aside from Unforgiven by Metallica . Anyhoo he told me he has no clue what the guy, Didi (i think that's his name) is saying because it's in a different language. I asked what language and he said "barbarian". I was like, "do you mean bedoin?" and he said no this is different they are barbarian and live in the desert but they are not bedoin.


Anybody? I'm just curious since I like it. Not gonna learn the lingo or anything since I'm just not into learning anything these days but again, just curious.


Hope everyone is doing well and hope that the embassies get those visas out to all who are waiting!

This may not be any help to you at all but so much of the Algerian music I have heard is so strongly French. Is the music Rai? It could be that it's a mixture of Algerian-Arabic dialect and French and that may explain why your husband doesn't understand. There is also the old Algerian Arabic which I think is called kaabyle and I do believe it is a left over Berber language - which again I don't think anyone who is not Algerian would understand this dialect. You might try google if you knew the artist? Perhaps there are some translations out there or just explanations. I hope that you find what you're looking for!

Doodle -- I think he means to say Berber?
Not sure though.....
Malarie

Maybe he was calling it Berberian or something relating to Berbers... Was he sure of what Bedoin meant?

http://forum.e-dz.com/index.php?showforum=55

Maybe try posting your question there

The music style could be rai. There is a famous Algerian rai singer named Khaled (or Cheb Khaled, but he's pretty much dropped the Cheb part now), and "Didi" is the name of one of his songs. He would probably be singing in an Algerian dialect of Arabic; my understanding is that Algerian and Moroccan Arabic are similar, but an Egyptian might not understand it. There's lots of Khaled's stuff on YouTube, including that song, so you could give it a listen and see if it's the same thing you heard. My husband adores rai, as do many Moroccans, so if that's the style, I'll get some more recommendations for you.

It could also be an entirely different style and a different singer. If the singer is Amazigh (not Arab) he could be singing in a Berber dialect (maybe Taqbaylit in Algeria?), in which case an Arabic speaker wouldn't understand any of it.

I don't know of an Algerian singer named Didi, but I'll ask my husband if he does.

Just going by my very limited knowledge -- apologies if I butchered the explanation!

Wow, I'm slow to type! I think the posters above me nailed it

Good explanation! Tunisians love it too and do understand a lot of the Algerian dialect. My husband is from a town that's almost in Algeria lol

Is this it ?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEGDMP0BP8g

I love it..."barbarian"
I get this pic in my head of Conan singing and dancing

I dont much about it but my first reaction was that it was probably berber, some others seem to have thought the same.


I still like the idea of Conan the Barbarian singing with drums in the background......

I'm cracking up here!

I'm just wondering if it is the song didi by cheb khaled- it was sooo popular when it came out and I don't think there was any arab in the world not singing it - even if they didn't fully understand the words lol I think it was early 90's and the video and sounded always made me think like Algerian Fresh Prince of Belair lol

Found this too *if* this is the song you're talking about :

Didi l Zine
(literally means: give your beauty) Show me your beauty.
ma ndeerik ba'eeda ma nebki aalik
ma ndeerik ba'eeda ma nsaksi aalik
(I won't keep you away from me so I don't ask about you later)
la baadouk aali l'jbal l'ghamاqa
(even if they take you away to the top of the highest mountain)

ena bhar aaliya ou entia la أنا بحر عليا وانتي لا
(I'm burning in the fires of love and you're not)
ma ndeerik ba'eeda ma nebki aalik
(I won't let you away from me so I wouldn't "cry on you" regret it later. In other words, I'll keep u close to me)
la zhar la memoon la aargoob zine
(I have a bad luck) Zhar = Luck

If it is rai, Kat/Hanging In There could probably give you a lot of information if she's still around. I think she said she spent a lot of time in that scene.

I can't go on youtube here anymore so I'll check it tonight. The name of the song was "Didi" I guess and it was that Cheb dude. I like that song but he still didn't know what he was saying.



omg that is totally what I was picturing when he said it and I was like, hmmmm...I wonder if that's where the word barbarian comes from, though the berbers that I know of are pretty decent people. (i'm sure barbarians are great too though I picture all kinds of violence when I think of them )

See he was saying Berber. This happens in our house a LOT!!!! Fights have occurred because of just this type of thing, though luckily they don't last more than 1/2 hour since that's about how long it normally takes us to figure out what he's trying to convey. Don't get me wrong, his english is fantastic, its that thick Egyptian accent that gets us confuzzled but I love him like crazy anyways.



j/k I just wanted a quick and dirty answer so I'm good.

If you like Metallica, you might like this Algerian:

There is some debate over this, but it is oft theorized that the word "Berber" is derived from the Roman word barbarian (which in turn, I think, came from the Greeks to denote anyone who was not Greek). So, your husband may be on to something.

Don't tell the Algerians, but I think rai is overrated. The best Berber music? Tinariwen. Love them.

I posted some of the lyrics for the song - it's basically just a repeat but if you want I'll dig and see if I could get all of them somewhere.

Also if you like that type of music you might (like I said might) like Tunisian mezoued. Which is a traditional Tunisian form of music. Probably the most popular mezeoud singer is Samir Loussif.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OnEtopGTlI

Barbarian? LOLOL that was too inoccently funny!

BTW Ash , congrats on baby .... mine also soon to be hereeeeeeeeeee!

Congratulations Henia on your baby!!!

I LOVE RACHID TAHA, been a huge fan for a few years now. he does disappoint me with his behavior from time to time, like falling over drunk at a concert in finland or something lol....but otherwise, extremely talented man

Algeria just qualified for the world cup against Egypt yoo hoo

Anyway,

Rai is from ORAN ALGERIA and really no where else. Morocco has forms of rai that originated in a city called OUJDA but many Algerian rai singers have Moroccan family members because of the close proximity to Morocco.

There are many forms of rai

Old RAI
RAINA RAI, HOUARI BENCHENET

MORE MODERN RAI
NASRO, KHALED,

NEW RAI

BILAL, CHEB TAREK< CHEBA DJENET

Rai actually became electronic in the 80s when a producer from a city named Sidi Bel Abbes added electronic music to music that was traditionally Orani. Blaoui Houari and Ahmed Wahbi were traditional Orani singers. Cheikha Rimitti was an wedding singer ( called Medahat) Khaled has made a living making these traditional songs electronic

A few alblums to help you if you are a beginner

Any golden hits by HASNI
Cheb Khaled's SAHRA
CHEB MAMI'S DELALI

The three sons or TRES SOLEILS with Khaled Rachid Taha and Faudel

Even the song YA MENFI was a traditional Algerian song thats on that concert clip. Much of RAI is traditional music that has been adapted. Now that doesnt take into account the new stuff or Hasnis lovers rai ( the music moroccans and algerians get romantic to)