Dima Libre

This is the fifth album in the lengthy career of a group led by Algerian singer-songwriter, Nedjim Bouizzoul. Having migrated to Québec at age 18 and lived two years in Colombia, Bouizzoul’s music reflects his peregrinations: nine self-penned songs sung in Arabic and French, with dashes of Spanish and English. The rhythms suggest the influence of North Africa, Cape Verde and the Caribbean. On ‘All We Are Saying Now’, Christine Roch’s saxophone and Yvan Djaouti’s trumpet even add a touch of Afrobeat to Lennon’s message of peace, which immediately follows the anti-war ‘La Guerre’, with Bouizzoul’s affecting solo voice accompanied simply by acoustic guitar. Add in some rock flourishes courtesy of his old friend Tito’s electric guitar, a violin and exuberant percussion, and – for all the gravitas of ‘La Guerre’ and ‘Palestina’ – the result is something engaging and uplifting that sometimes recalls Cheb Khaled at his affable best.