Editor's Info
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.
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 for over a decade. An estimated 200,000 people were killed and thousands of artists and intellectuals were forced 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 blurr.......
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