MixTate Cheb Mimo

When I was young, my grandma would tell me stories. We spoke the same language but, somehow, I couldn't really grasp what she was saying. I understood her words - that wasn't the problem. It was that she had grown up in a world very different from my own. Born in a small town in Algeria in 1925, when the country was under French colonial rule, she had memories of limited access to TV and radio, and going years without contact with overseas relatives. Her Algeria, which remained under French rule until 1962, felt so far away from the one I knew.

When I first came across Zineb Sedira's 2002 video work Mother Tongue, it really resonated with me. Across three screens, we see the artist, her mother and her daughter share childhood memories with one another in their respective first languages: French, Arabic and English. I was reminded of the sadness one might feel when meaning is lost through language barriers, but I also understood the tenderness that can be found in that misunderstanding.

For me, music has always been related to these emotions and experiences. Growing up Algerian and Tunisian, music was always just there, from the rai of Cheb Khaled and Cheb Kada blasting out of barbershops and market stalls to the malouf and mezoued that would fill weddings and Eid celebrations. I absorbed it without even paying attention. This mix comes from that place. It's made up entirely of Algerian music, including long-time favourites and records I discovered more recently.

It features excerpts from soundtracks by Ahmed Malek, the Algerian Ennio Morricone who scored so many of the great Algerian films, and the lesser-known, avant-garde composer Fazil Kezal, as well as experimental electronic raï from the 198os. The mix slowly builds into something more lively.

My grandma passed away some years ago, and I still reflect on the moments we spent together. There's something melancholic about this mix, but there's a lot of joy in it too, because the music is still here.

LILI BONICHE, BILL LASWELL, JEAN TOUITOU – Alger Alger Dub

AHMED MALEK – Hira

DJAMEL ALLAM – Ourestrou

ABDELLAOUI CHEIKH – Lika El Aâchiquine

FREH KHODJA – Ken Andi Habib

ABDEL ALI SLIMANI – Ana Guellile

RABAH – Atini Ma Chance

CHEB EL HINDI – L'avocat Khdah El Hbal

BELLEK – El Mout

DRISSI EL ABASSI – Hbibha Moul 504

WARDA AL-JAZAIRIA – Men Radak Reedo

NORDINE STAIFI – Salah Konnek Saleh

^{Mother Tongue was purchased in 2007. Zineb Sedira’s Tate Britain Commission runs until 17 January 2027.}

^{Cheb Mimo is a music researcher, DJ, radio host and founder of Shakshouka Records.}

^{This mixtape is no.25 in the MixTate Series}