Absolute Rai

Delving into the deepest recesses of raï, this compilation serves as a tribute to its roaring years, but also as a rejuvenation of the genre in its sulphurous, subterranean version. It seemed like a good idea to dig into nearly untraceable cassettes, thus confirming it’s in the oldest of Oranese pots that the very best of raï is to be found. Just 50 years ago, no one would have believed even a bit in a genre seemingly bound to forever turn round and round in its native Oran, laying low in one of its many coastal road clubs.

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the premiere of the Rossini rarity, the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro staged Ricciardo e Zoraide with an all-star cast. Juan Diego Flórez makes his debut as the crusader Ricciardo, giving a masterclass in bel canto (Bachtrack), his high notes are … still thrilling with their laser-like precision (Financial Times). The South African soprano Pretty Yende radiant and richly expressive (Financial Times) as Zoraide proves that she is a virtuosa in Rossini singing (Neue Musikzeitung). On the 150th anniversary of the composers death and 200 years after its premiere, Ricciardo e Zoraide rings out with an artistic quality that is second to none, thanks to the skills of an absolute Champions League ensemble (Online Merker).

Handel wrote the secular oratorio Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (The triumph of Time and of Enlightenment) to the text of one of his patrons, Cardinal Benedetto Pamphili, in Rome in 1707. The libretto, which doesn't stand up to close logical scrutiny, centers on Beauty, who must choose between self-indulgent Pleasure and the austerity of allegiance to Time and Enlightenment. Needless to say, any patron entering the theater for the performance, having noted the title on the playbill, would have no doubt about the outcome of the struggle, so dramatic suspense cannot have been one of the inducements for an eighteenth century audience. The rewards, however, are real, most notably Handel's remarkably fertile inventiveness and musical ingenuity, which justified sitting through a two-and-a-half-hour performance that was guaranteed to be a dramatic non-starter. Handel keeps recitatives to a minimum, and the oratorio is rich in musical substance and variety.

Aswad is arguably Britain's most successful reggae band, in terms of both popularity and longevity. Critical opinion of their body of work is often divided. Some hail their early material as the greatest roots reggae Britain ever produced, beginning with their 1975 self-titled debut, which highlighted the plight of the immigrant Jamaican in the unfamiliar and often hostile environment of '70s London. Others find their later pop-crossover phase more distinctive and unique, when they shifted to funk and soul, resulting in the U.K. chart-topper "Don't Turn Around." Regardless, Aswad's ability to adapt themselves to the changing times – new musical trends, shifting personnel – was ultimately the driving force behind their decades-long career.

Cheikha Rimitti was a popular Algerian raï female singer. Robert Fripp sails right into the Oriental motifs like he was born with an electric oud in his hand. The Fowler brothers, from Zappa's bands - handle the North African-style horn arrangements with aplomb. Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) has a hard time getting out of his American funk stylings, but the fusion works really, really well.

Cheikha Rimitti was a popular Algerian raï female singer. Robert Fripp sails right into the Oriental motifs like he was born with an electric oud in his hand. The Fowler brothers, from Zappa's bands - handle the North African-style horn arrangements with aplomb. Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) has a hard time getting out of his American funk stylings, but the fusion works really, really well.