Abdelli Abderrahmane is a Kabyl Berber, born on the 2nd of April 1958 at Behalil in the Great Kabyl (Algeria). Author, composer and performer, he mixes his native traditional music with modern elements. With an open mind, he does not hesitate in accepting other musical forms however distant they may be from his own.
Abdelli’s first professional performance took place in Dellys (Kabylia). He won several awards in Algeria for amateur singers and eventually moved to Belgium where he met producer Thierry Van Roy, who was so fascinated with Abdelli’s music that he spent two years exploring the roots of the Berbers’ musical tradition at the University of Algiers. In 1995 Van Roy produced the New Moon album and it came out on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label. Abdelli’s career took off and he started to perform at major festivals in Europe, including WOMAD.
In 2008, Abdelli took a break from touring to work on a new album, Destiny. Shortly after the release of Destiny, Abdelli started to work on the album Songs of Exile. After the sudden death of his close friend Henri Bernard in October 2008, Abdelli wanted to create an album dedicated to Henri. Although the original plan was to make an album with simply vocals and mandola, Abdelli shared the music with friends and colleagues and it became a collaboration. Songs of Exile was reissued in 2021.
Abdelli’s lyrics express strong and poetic images of his culture which is threatened from all sides. He expresses himself essentially by symbols which are parts of his traditional culture. He tries to make known the ancient Berber culture which, by its tolerance and openness, is an example to follow in our troubled world.
Abdelli’s music is a reflection of the Kabyl culture open to the world and to its differences. His music is the meeting of the quarter of a tone with the tempered scale. Using traditional Algerian instruments such as the mandola, the bendir and the darbuka, he has collaborated with musicians from South America and the Ukraine, inviting in the usage of the cajón (Peru), the tormento, the quena (Chilean), and the bandura (Ukrainian) resulting in the creation of unique and colorful new rhythms.
Discography:
Ayema-Yema (1987)
Abdelli in Brussels (1987)
New Moon ((Real World, 1995)
Au-delà de Gibraltar (2000)
Among Brothers (Real World, 2003)
Destiny (Zimbraz, 2011)
Songs of Exile (2012, reissued in 2021 on ARC Music)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.