The ‘little devil’ was born in Tunis in 1884 to a Libyan mother and Moroccan dad. The first half of the twentieth century was a golden era in Tunisian music; Cheikh El Afrite its most celebrated artist. As a youngster he became fluent in its mix of classical Arab-Andalous and Ottoman traditions with folk idioms like bedouin and other African melodies, fondo and fezzani, and the festive tripolitain music of Libya. Turning professional at eighteen, he was soon singing for the bey every Tuesday night, at his seaside palace in Hammam Lif. Later, his recordings made him star throughout the Maghreb.

Captivatingly austere, minimal, deconstructed, but deft and in a way intimate.

His 1966 debut for Vanguard, evocatively fusing psych-folk and raga way ahead of its time; also featuring flautist Jeremy Steig and long-time Dylan cohort Bruce Langhorn.
Vinyl from Harte.

Top-notch, funky, eclectic jazz singing.