V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music of North Africa (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This compilation focuses on the music of four countries -- Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, and Morocco. The focus is mainly on contemporary popular forms, but tosses in a bit of roots here and there. Rai is featured heavily throughout the album in its various incarnations from Cheb Mami to Cheb Khaled. Nubian music is also featured in multiple incarnations, from the brassy but relatively traditional work of Ali Hassan Kuban to the newer fusion-influenced Salamat. The beats of the Arab world are thoroughly showcased on this album, and anyone itching for a quick look into the genres of North Africa should pick up this album for its rather comprehensive coverage of the genres, as well as relatively extensive liner notes on the histories of the various forms. The only notable omissions here would perhaps be the ritual music of the Gnawa of Marrakesh, but despite this minor missing detail, the album is a worthwhile listen for someone with any level of experience with the music. by Adam Greenberg
Tracklist:
1 –Cheb Kader : M'hainek Ya Galbi 4:50
2 –Cheb Mami : Douni El Bladi 5:22
3 –Ali Hassan Kuban : Habibi 4:19
4 –Hossam Shaker : Lama Bada Yatasama 3:44
5 –Abdel Aziz El Mubarak : Tahrimni Minnak 6:44
6 –Abdel Karim El Kabli : Dannab 5:13
7 –Hamza El Din : Ashranda 4:53
8 –Salamat : Mambo El Soudani 4:04
9 –Mahmoud Fadl : Maqsoum 2:38
10 –Cheb Khaled* & Miloud : Koubou Koubou 7:40
11 –Chaba Fadela & Cheb Sahraoui : La Vérité 6:20
12 –Adnan Sefiani & L'orchestre De Salé : Bechri Lina 7:04
13 –Houria Aichi : Vent De La Montagne / Six Sous 3:04
14 –Hassan Erraji & Arabesque : Nikriz 5:02

V.A. - The Rough Guide to Raï (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Rai isn't the only music in Algeria, but it might as well be. Like reggae in Jamaica, it's the musical representation of the country that's familiar to others. This compilation offers a quick guide to the sound of Algeria -- or, more specifically, the city of Oran -- and a tour through a music that's evolved from a raw, acoustic sound of voices, flutes, and drums to something as high-tech as any music anywhere. The biggest names, Cheb Mami and Khaled, are here (Khaled represented by a stunning track from his early "Cheb" days, "Ya Loualid"), and Cheikha Remitti, justifiably called rai's grandmother, is naturally included. The delight is in the details in-between, people like trumpeter Bellemou, the first person to really revolutionize the style, or the stunning Fadela and her husband, Sahraoui, on the synth-powered '80s cut, "La Verite." Chaba Zahouania, once tipped for stardom, shows why she was considered so good, and, as a reminder that Oran can be a dangerous place, there's a cut from the late Cheb Hasni, the romantic soul of rai, who was gunned down for no apparent reason in 1994. And then there's Abdou, something of an anomaly in many ways, a cross-dresser in an Arab country, who performs more in the female meddahate style, and Malik, whose "N'Touma," in his techno-rai style, is as sophisticated as anything coming out of the West. While this album doesn't dig back all the way to the roots -- no Cheikh Hamada, for example -- it's an excellent summation of modern rai's history. by Chris Nickson  
Tracklist:
1 –Abdou : Ana Aachki Bahloul 5:34
2 –Cheb Mami : Lazrag Saâni 4:33
3 –Malik : N'Touma 4:12
4 –Cheb Zahouani : Moul El Bar 6:48
5 –Cheb Anouar : Moulay Ibrahim 5:59
6 –Cheikha Remitti : Guendouzi Mama 5:51
7 –Bellemou : Nediha Gaouria 5:36
8 –Cheba Nouria : Consulat 5:33
9 –Cheba Zahouania : Shab El Baroud 6:04
10 –Cheb Hasni : Menghirek Entia Fi Dounia 6:00
11 –Cheb Khaled : Ya Loualid 5:33
12 –Fadela & Sahraoui :    La Verité 4:19