Recently featured in the list of the "100 Greatest World Music Albums Of All Times" by Amazon US, "Camping Shaabi" came out in early 2008 and was Antwerp-based band Think Of One's second album for Crammed.


Original press release:


The antagonism between Belgium's two communities has never been as pronounced... the Arab world and the West are more at odds than ever... Yet, our favourite musical explorers (i.e. Antwerp-based band Think Of One) couldn't think of anything better than to put out a new album blending vocals in Arabic, in French and in Antwerp's Flemish dialect, written and recorded in collaboration with Moroccan musicians, and released on a rather francophone label...


Is this some form of provocation ? Of sheer irresponsibility ? Or a desire to try and bridge the gap between alienated communities ? There's probably some truth in all of these, but the main impulse behind this album comes from Think Of One's immoderate love for Moroccan shaâbi, that popular style which is directly derived from traditional Berber music and from its irresistible rhythms. Shaâbi songs were originally (and still are) performed at parties and weddings, mostly in an urban environment. But, for a good number of years, Shaâbi has become massively popular with the young : just listen to FM radio or lend an ear to the music blasting from car stereos, not only in Casablanca or Marrakech but also in certain areas of Brussels and Antwerp.


Shaâbi is nevertheless still considered as a lesser, inferior form of music by many *, which makes Think Of One's current endeavour all the more exciting: the band's aim is to get as many of us Westerners deeply addicted to the groove of shaâbi...


So how did they create this album ? In the wake of their musical adventures in Brazil (which resulted in Tráfico, their previous album), the band decided to bring the fusion between shaâbi and Eur.......
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