Kutche (& Safy Boutella) / Vinyl record [Vinyl-LP]

I was in a furniture shop in Gillingham, Dorset when I first heard this cd. It was totally mesmerising. The owner of the store told me that it was a hard to get album by Cheb Khaled and Safy Boutella. I had never heard of them but as soon as I got home I logged onto Amazon and there was Kutche and it has not been out of my car since.A wonderful introduction to Rai.Khaled is the self styled 'King of Rai' and his Arabic lyrics are both complex and cluttered but that is the style. You can almost smell the incense burning and hear the camels walking past.The lyrics are apparently Islamically incorrect however I don't understand Arabic so no 'Parental Guidance' sticker is neccessary!The music is full of movement and fun with accordions, drums, violin et al.Get it you won't be disappointed.

Not much to say other than I love this album. Safy Boutella adds to the album nicely, but most credit to Mr. Rai!

A brilliant collaboration between Khaled and Safy Boutella, this is one of the most thrilling CDs I own. Boutella, known primarily for his film scores, co-wrote 3 of the tracks, and helped adapt 3 others, which are of traditional origin. He plays bass and synthesizer, and co-produced with the great Martin Meissonnier.I concur with Meissonnier, who once said in an interview: "We're living through a golden age of ethnic music", and Khaled and Boutella are a major ingredient in the birth and continuance of the exciting and and creative music that is now available in the world music market.Khaled, known as the King of Rai (and after listening to this CD, you'll understand why), was one of the early pioneers of the genre, and comes into full bloom with this CD, which was recorded between 11/87 and 01/88, when Khaled was still in his "Cheb" days."Kutche", with it's contrasting rhythms, is an extraordinary track, and "Minuit", a song Khaled penned alone, has become my favorite of the lot. It's a spectacular tango beat blended with an Arabic melody."Minuit", "Baroud", and "Kutche" are also available on stupendous 4 disc set, "Absolute Rai", which contains 5 hours of top-notch music and is highly recommended for anyone who appreciates this type of music.Other than recording info, there are no liner notes included; the sound is great, and total time is 42'41.

Khaled found his groove in later albums, mixing it up with reggae and Bollywood and whatnot, and attempting backward waltz (Bakhta, Wahrane Wahrane). But here is the root of everything. Some of the cheapo production value of early rai can be sensed, but Boutella's genius shines through the piano background to Chebba, the horns and the Spanish guitar on the half-Bellamou-ripoff (Baroud). It's funkier than anything else on the planet was in 1989. Pay full price. Then have three vodkas and listen to the tango-inferno of Minuit, and feel how trance-like it can be (far echoes of Tinariwen there).

As the other reviewers note, Kutche is a nice introduction to Khaled and Rai. However, I'm more fond of Khaled's more recent productions. Kutche has a distinct '80s feel -- very synthesized and bouncy -- that grates on me after a few tracks.If you stumble across a used copy somewhere, fine, buy it. But don't pay full price for a new copy of Kutche. Spend the money on one of his newer albums instead.

The first time I heard this CD or when it first came out. This album was a hit all over.Recommend to any RAI music lover. You won't regret buying the album at all.

This cd was the first for khaled in france and followed by his masterpiece album "Khaled" , his voice and the rhythems was very incredible , i recommend it for all ...