On tour for the first time in Australia,
Hamid Baroudi loves to defy his critics. Martin Delcanho talks
to this mysterious musician.
MD: Hamid, where are you speaking from -
home or on tour?
HB:I am speaking from my home in Kassel, Germany, in the heart
of Europe.
MD: Why did you choose to live
in Kassel, rather than Paris or London, which are considered the
primary "world music" capitals?
HB: When I left Algeria I did live in Paris for a while, but I
wanted to study at the art school in Kassel, which is also the
home of the Documenta exhibition. And it gave me the opportunity
to make music with some great German musicians, including Dissidenten,
which was possibly the first great world music fusion group in
the 1980's. Also my fellow musicians from Algeria like Rachid
Taha and Cheb Mami and Cheb Khaled were all living in Paris so
I wanted to be different. So I live happily in Germany and can
go anywhere.
MD: Are you married to a German?
HB: No I am single.
MD: Are you from the city of Oran, the home of "rai"
music, where nearly all of Algeria's best-known musicians are
from? Cheb Mami, Rachid Taha and Cheb Khaled are all from Oran
which is amazing.
HB: Actually, I was from a town
about 150 kilometres away from Oran but I moved there when I was
young and played music with all those guys.
MD: It's interesting how certain cities in certain countries
become the cradles or hotbeds of that country's music scene, like
New Orleans in USA, Salvador in Brazil, Santiago de Cuba in Cuba,
and Oran in Algeria?
HB: Yes, it's because of the musical tradition in those cities,
where children hear music from a young age. Maybe their parents
are musicians or their uncles or cousins or they are just around
music and they learn to feel music.
MD: Were you initially grounded in Rai music, which has become
the most well-known music style for many Western people introduced
to Arabic rhythms? Is Rai music the Arabic music that influenced
you most?
HB: No, I did hear Rai music because it is very important in Algeria
growing up, but my main influence is the Maghreb rhythms which
are the ancient rhythms of North Africa before the countries were
even named. So Maghreb rhythm comes from the part of the African
continent where Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Egypt are, but the
influence extended towards West Africa as well.
MD: Growing up, who were your main influences as far as Arabic
music, Western pop or dance music?
HB: I used to see European travellers coming to Algeria to go
into the Sahara Desert and they had tapes of great music that
I loved - The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Wilson
Pickett and Otis Redding. These travellers brought this music
to Africa and I dreamed that I would one day reverse this process
and take African and Arabic music back to the Western World. And
I have done that.
MD: What instruments do you play?
HB: I play electric guitar, which was always strange because everybody
else in Algeria played more traditional instruments like percussion
or the oud. But I wanted to make the sounds with electric guitar.
I also play lots of percussion but my main instrument is my voice.
MD: Is this your first visit to Australia?
HB: Yes, when I played at WOMAD in Canada I asked about Australia
and now I am going to play there which I am looking forward to.
It will be a very special performance, where I will show vocal
acrobatics.
MD: That sounds great. What kind of band are you bringing with
you?
HB: There will be 6 of us, with me on guitar and vocal, some great
German musicians on keyboards, drums and bass and two amazing
African musicians on kora and percussion. We are a true world
group playing music from Africa, Asia, South America and Europe.
MD: Isn't WOMAD a great organisation?
Music and dance as celebratory art forms are probably the only
thing that every culture across the world have in common and WOMAD
is the best example of that celebration being put on display.
HB: Yes it truly is. To have music from around the world played
to appreciative audiences is the essence and for artists from
third-world countries to be able to show their talent to first-world
audiences is a great thing. Peter Gabriel and Ry Cooder have helped
open people's eyes to great Cuban and African and Asian music
they would never have heard. And Sting has had Cheb Mami and other
Arabic musicians play with him. It's great for the music to be
heard.
MD: You say in your most often-used quote that you enjoy making
it difficult for people to categorise you. You have been successful
in that regard because I knew 5 or 6 tracks of yours on different
compilation from Putumayo, Rykodisc, Stern's, Nascente and Rough
Guide and there is no obvious style or even a connection to Arabic
music on some of the tracks. I'm confused! For example the Tea
in Marrakesh song you contributed on Stern's Tea in Marrakesh
album sounds like Trinidadian/Indian chutney music.
HB: Yes I am happy to have my music on these compilations. Tea
In Marrakesh I wrote while sitting around soaking up the atmosphere
in Morocco with some friends, just playing music.
MD: Are you playing any gigs in Australia other than WOMADELAIDE?
HB: Unfortunately not, but hopefully I will meet people in Adelaide
and we can arrange for me to return to Australia sometime soon
and perform in other cities. That would be great.
MD: Thank you Hamid. I really
looking forward to seeing you perform at WOMADELAIDE.
HB: Thank you. I promise you will hear great music, with great
beats.
