| Introducing: Akim El Sikameya |
Having experienced civil war and exile, Akim El Sikameya excels in blending European and Algerian influences in his music, and has astonished audiences worldwide with his unique singing voice. Drawing from Arab-Andalusian tradition, combined with jazz, Latin and gypsy music, this album is also a lyrical revolution as Akim speaks out against religious fundamentalism and narrates daring tales of love. Akim’s music shifts effortlessly between two countries, two cultures and two continents.
'As warm and welcoming as a Mediterranean summer breeze' BBC Radio 3
Click here to watch a promo video of Akim El Sikameya performing at WOMAD
Born in Oran, the musical capital of Algeria, Akim El Sikameya studied Arab-Andalusian music from a young age. Sadly, in 1991, civil war erupted between Islamic fundamentalists and the Algerian government, sparking a bloody conflict that lasted until 2002. An estimated 200,000 people were killed in the civil war, and a strategic attempt was carried out to eliminate artists and intellectuals, forcing thousands into exile. Following his brothers, who were threatened by fatwas in their homeland, Akim too had to leave for France in 1994 at the age of 21. Settling in France, with a background of sixteen years of musical study, Akim developed his own repertoire inspired by the sounds and cultures around him. Thanks to his rare high-pitch voice and a unique fiddle-playing technique, Akim’s musical development flourished and began to explore the different combinations of Arab-Andalusian tradition and various French and global influences.
Introducing Akim El Sikameya shifts between two countries, two cultures and two continents, reflecting the musical history that has come to shape Akim. While the album explores tradition through its rhythms and melodies, there are also many modern elements employed in the songs. Arab-Andalusian 6/8 rhythms are played alongside colourful gypsy tones, flamenco and African influences, as well as including a measure of jazz, waltz and Latin styles. Akim aims to blend them together in a way that is relevant to his way of life, which embraces cross-cultural dialogue – a blurring of borders and frontiers.
Akim firmly believes that success lies in the strength of the compositions. Writing all the songs on this album, he explains his process simply: ‘I work first on the core, then on the shape.’ These results have certainly paid off, with his track ‘Ya Waadi’ being awarded second place in the 2007 International Songwriting Competition (World Music category).
Capturing the live energy that Akim exudes on stage was a main aspiration when recording this album. Instead of laying down each instrument separately, all the parts were played and recorded simultaneously, in the same spirit of the musicians playing live together in concert. Akim’s live performances have made a significant impression, particularly his set at WOMAD in 2005, which BBC’s Martin Longley sums up as follows: ‘He projects a dignified, stratospheric sound, both in the qualities of his impossibly high voice and his ornamented, bittersweet violin.’
YA WAADI
Ils ont accaparé tout l’or jaune
Et bien sûr pris aussi l’or noir
Au moins s’il nous restait l’argent
Mais pour nous c’est le bronze.
They took all the yellow gold for themselves,
And also the black gold as well
If only we still had silver
But we only have bronze.
Alors on a choisi l’exil
Le croyant Paradis
Les gardes nous arrêtés
Hors des frontières, refoulés.
So we decided to flee
We took exile for paradise
The army caught us there
And they pushed us away.
Ref :
Oh mon malheur ! Que s’est-il passé dans mon pays ?
Chorus :
Oh my suffering! What happened in my country?
Il n’y a plus d’hommes véritables dans cette existence
Il n’y a plus d’amis dignes de confiance
Ils n’ont plus ni foi ni loi
C’est une bande de perdants
Ils n’ont plus ni foi ni loi
Ce sont des satans.
There are no true man left in life
There are no true friends left
They are no longer good
They are all losers
They are nor longer good
They are all evils.
Laissant ma maison, laissant mes amis
Abandonnant ma chérie
Je vous ai laissé le bled, pauvres lâches
Pauvres assassins !
I left my house, and I left my friends
I left also my love
I left the bled to you, cowards
You murderers !
Lisez donc le grand Averroès
Et aussi Maimonide
C’est le peuple des Andalous
Ils ont gagné la vie et travaillé pour l’au-delà.
I told you to read Averroes
And Maimonide too.
This is the Andalusia people
They gained life and worked to gain after-life.
CAHWA ET FLEUR D’ORANGER
ORANGE BLOSSOM COFFEE
Avant de venir te retrouver
Je bois un café à la fleur d’oranger
Qui me rappelle ton parfum
Alors mes yeux se réveillent
Et nous passons une nuit blanche
Et nous passons de grandes nuits
Before I come to you
I drink an orange-blossom coffee
It reminds me of your perfume
So my eyes wake up
And we don’t sleep all night
And we have a great night
Ref :
Et je me rassure quand je te vois
Mon cœur se soulage
Juste une minute avec toi
Ranime mon âme
Chorus :
And I get reassured when I see you
My heart feels better
Just a minute with you
Revives my soul
Quand j’entends le bruit de khoulkhels
Je me dis : mon amour est là
El gosto remonte
Et je dis : ce jour est sucré
Plaisir après plaisir jusqu’au matin
Et la bougie allumée
When I hear the sound of your bracelets
I say: my love is here
My spirit lifts up
I say: it’s a sweet day
Pleasure and pleasure, till the next morning
And the candle is burning.
