I'll have some Brie with that Baguette -- Taste of Kabylie

Silkworm's interview with Jacob, from ZUBA, inspired me to share with you all a link to a great Algerian musician by the name of Idir. His music is all about the Berber identity from North Africa, and in particular, Kabylia (the berber region of Algeria) where he and I are from. This very certainly falls under the World Music category and my guess is that very few of you are familiar with that culture and the music that comes from it so here's a taste of Kabylia, courtesy of Idir. Couple of notes: 

1/ Idir sings in Tamazight, a Berber dialect that is quite distinctive from the Arabic language (most untrained ears could be confused between the two)

1/ Idir's lyrics are very poetic in a traditional folk way, so here's below an approximate and very awkward translation in English (taken from a youtube comment) of his biggest hit  "A Vava inouva" /"My Little Father", and a link to the song itself. I chose this particular Youtube version, not for the visuals (a rather stupid still image) but because it features the original female backup vocals, which are absent from any of his live renditions.

"I ask you father inouva, open the door

O daughter ghriba, shake your bracelets

I fear the monster of the forest father inouva

O daughter ghriba, I fear him too

The old one is rolled up in his "burnous" (traditional trenchcoat)

in the distance, to warm himself

His son is scared to earn bread

Looking at the days to come

The grand-dauhter-in-law sews

Without stopping putting the cloth

The children around the grandmother

learn the teachings from the old days

*chorus*

The snow pushes up against the door

the stew in the large cooking pot

the elders begin dreaming of springtime

the moon and the stars being the canopy

the oak tree replaces the view

the family gathers together

ready to listen to the story"

*chorus*