More rock-xotica: If anyone has the right to cover The Clash's "Rock The Casbah" it's Rachid Taha. After all, he's from Algeria, an arabic North African country that might actually have casbahs. Since the fundis took over, however, he's been based out of Paris (anyone playing pop music in Algeria nowadays will find themselves at the business end of a machete wielded by one of Allah's more intolerant servants.) It's both amusing and bewildering to hear a song from the punk era sung in Arabic, and featuring the likes of the Egyptian Strings Ensemble. From Taha's latest album "Tekitoi":
Rachid Taha "Rock El Casbah"
And no sooner did this come out then Paris' DJ Zebra creates a mash-up of "Rock El Casbah" with popular Scandinavian garage-rockers The Caesars' "Jerk It Out":
DJ Zebra: "Jerk The Casbah"
8 comments:
This is probably the best cover of this song I've ever heard, the version by Richard Cheese coming in a close second.
By the way, thank you for posting all this great music.
Coming form a Clash fanatic, this has to be the coolest cover ever!
PartyBen did a mashup of Rock the Casbah and Somebody Told Me. Worth checking but not as good as this cover.
Never trust someone who is unwilling to put their name to their opinion.
I heard this on Sirius satellite radio coming home from work tonight. Great stuff.
Thanks for posting the song. There was an article in today's San Francisco Chronicle about this guy, which made me search online for more...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/27/DDG7TDE9EU1.DTL
Thanks for the link. Looks like he's touring America. Woo-hoo!
This guy's music really rocks..everyone across the Middle East is listening to him. In Paris they can't keep the crowds in control..
I lisen to him in the Middle East I hope he catches on in the states.. I can't stop listening to this exciting sound.. it is about time North America got in tune with the rest of the world.. go Rachid .. from an American who really loves this album.. and sound
i also think this guy really rocks. after i listed to his cover of the clash classic, i went and bought the album and his earlier one called "Made in Medina" and it blow me a way. i cant wait to hear him in concert.
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