lockdown : vinyl find #9.

In 1999, I was in high school, living in Toulouse, France. The band Zebda was at the peak of their career, and their fame made them natural ambassador of the city. So, when they made a concert at the newly built Zénith room, the whole town wanted to be there. My father managed to get three tickets. 

Zebda displayed their usual energy on stage, playing songs from their latest successful album "Essence ordinaire", as well as songs from previous albums (the seminal "Le bruit et l'odeur" mostly), which contributed to make them a big name in the French rock scene ; 1998 though was the year of the breakthrough, as they took the French music industry by storm. 

In 1999, an Algerian (Kabyl actually) singer named Idir met success with his album "Identités", which saw him sing his old songs with others such as Maxime Le Forestier, Manu Chao, Karen Matheson, Dan Ar Braz etc. 

The three singers of Zebda (yes, a rock band with three singers is unusual) have always been keen on using their North African roots as influences. So it was only normal that they would invite Idir to open for Zebda on their tour. 

Idir's voice and the crystal sound of his guitar were enchanting, and songs such as "Tizi Ouzou" and "A vava inou va 2" either give you chills or make you want to cry. It's emotional. 

So, in 1999, many people suddenly remembered that they already knew the songs they were hearing : "A vava inou va" had some success in... 1975. But the new version was equally good. 

After the concert, my father bought Idir's album, which meant something : he didn't buy so many CD's, unless it really moved him. 

Fast forward. We're in 2011, I had started collecting maybe a year before. I had decided to go on a city trip to Istanbul, the first of several trips I've made since to Turkey. As a fairly new but dedicated collector, trying to find records was mandatory. And I wasn't disappointed by what Istanbul had to offer (I wrote a "diggin' guide" back then, which is outdated now, since there are so many new shops now in Istanbul). 

I think I bought this one at a store called Plakhane. Stumbling upon a French record was quite odd at first, but I quickly learned it should not be unusual. The name Idir instantly reminded me of 1999, and even if the record wasn't cheap, I made my mind on buying it. I knew what to expect : Kabyl music and lyrics, a gentle voice and soft guitars. Plus, I knew the names of two of the musicians credited : André (as Dede) Ceccarelli on drums and Jean Musy on Moog. Can't go wrong with this line-up. 

Sweet melodies is what you get here, in a smart mix of Western and Kabyl arrangements. I still hear those swirling flutes floating in the air...

Idir - A vava inou va.

Here's the full album : YouTube.

It was only after I bought the LP that I realized it's not even that difficult to find in France. It's actually pretty common. But this is how one gets knowledge, and stories are born.