Rachid Taha at Mil-Lenni International Barcelona Festival

Rachid Taha will be at the 15th Mil-Lenni International Barcelona Festival on March 28th, to be attended by about thirty artists from Spain and other parts of the world until May 23rd, according to the organizers. Known as the “Rocker of the Casbah,” Rachid Taha, son of Algerian immigrants living in Lyon, inaugurated his musical career in France in the 1980s. The artist, whose interpretation of Dahmane El-Harrachi’s “Ya Rayah” in 1998 was a planetary success, distinguished himself with his combinations between blues, rock and techno, on the one hand, and Algerian rai and chaabi music, on the other. In his latest album, “zoom,” Taha pays tribute to the “star of the Middle East” Oum Kalthoum as well as the King of Rock, Elvis Presley. Spanish duo Jose Manuel Zapata and Jose Merce, who mix flamenco and jazz, will participate at the festival, to feature the Spanish “Espessa,” “Miss Cafeine,” “Standstill” groups. Created in 1999 by the Catalan Concert Studio foundation, “Mil-Lenni” is considered as on the most important cultural Spanish events by its duration (six months) and artistic quality.