finetune artist: Abdelli

b. Behalil, Algeria. Abdelli is a member of the Kabyls, a subsection of the larger Berber tribe, who were the original inhabitants of North Africa and share a common language and alphabet known as the tifinagh. Abdelli's first ventures outside of his village community came at the age of 17, when he travelled to Algiers to purchase his first mandola. He quickly established his talent, receiving invitations to perform throughout Europe. However, before a series of shows in Denmark in 1987 he was arrested at the immigration desk at the airport. Flown to Belgium before deportation to Algiers, he elected to pursue a career as a busker in preference to an unceremonious return home. In Belgium he was adopted by a benevolent Brussels official who was enraptured by his singing and unusual musicianship. He then came to the attention of producer Thierry Van Roy, who was so taken with his discovery that he spent two years exploring the roots of the Berbers' musical tradition at the University of Algiers. New Moon was the result of this research, with Van Roy making the geographical connection between the ancient African culture and those of South America. He created a marriage of Kabyl instruments such as the goubahi and berpuali with the Uruguayan candomb, Venezuelan jorop, Chilean rin and Cuban rumba. Abdelli improvised enchanting words and melodies from his own language, opposite which Van Roy orchestrated the instruments, and together they provided world music with one of its brightest discoveries of 1995.

Listen to Abdelli at Finetune.

(2007) New Moon
(2007) Among Brothers
(2003) Among Brothers

Itij Intro
Amazine Intro
Walagh (I Observe)
Adarghal (Introduction)
Itij (The Sun)