les abranis: amazigh freedom rock 1973-1983

Bongo Joe Records return to the scorching Kabyle rock of Abranis, the pioneering Algerian band that blended traditional Berber music with western rock, folk, disco, and funk, all the while proudly celebrating their Kabyle heritage. Amazigh Freedom Rock is a comprehensive look into their discography, from the garage-rock experimentations of their early days to their lushly orchestrated North African fusion masterpieces of the 1980s. The Abranis story begins in the mid-sixties, when Shamy El Baz and Karim Abdenou crossed paths in one of Paris's bohemian neighborhoods. Both were Kabyle, the Berber people from Algeria's northern regions, both loved rock music, and both were passionate about fostering a modern Algerian sound, as inspired by Kabyle rhythms and melodies as it was by western rock. The two musicians founded Les Abranis in 1967. Together they experimented by mixing Kabyle vocals and melodies with garage and psych-rock but as the '70s progressed they increasingly moved away from the garage and psychedelia of their early days and began to interpret their Kabyle repertoire in more open and creative ways melting prog rock, jazz, and some early electronic influences. Over 11 electrifying tracks, Amazigh Freedom Rock 1973-1983 highlights their legacy as the underground kings of Kabyle rock.