Ya-Rayi

Infobox Album | Name = Ya-Rayi
Type = Album
Artist = Khaled


Background = Orange
Released = August 2005 (International)
June 27, 2005 (USA)
Recorded = 2004
Genre = Raï
Length = ??:?
Label = Universal Records and Wrasse Records
Producer = Don Was, Jacob Desvarieux, Philippe Eidel, K. C. Porter, and Dawn Elder
Reviews =
Last album = "Kenza"
(2000)
This album = "Ya-Rayi"
(2004)
Next album =
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = US release cover
Type = Album

Khaled's Ya-Rayi studio album was released in Europe in August 2004 and later on released in the United States on June 27, 2005. The European release was dubbed a "back to the roots" album, while the United States release was dubbed a "peace through music" album.

Ya-Rayi means my opinion in Arabic. The album includes remakes of El Hadj Mohammed el Arika's "El-H'mam" and Rabah Deriasa and Blaoui Houari's "H'mama".

Track listing

#"Mani Hani"
#"Ya-Rayi"
#"Zine Zina"
#"El-H'mam"
#"Lemen"
#"Ya Galbi"
#"H'mama"
#"Ensa El Hem"
#"Hagda"
#"El Ghira"
#"El-H'mam" (Imhotep Remix)

United States Release

Ya-Rayi United States album release came with several changes. The biggest change of all was the inclusion of the song "Love to the People". With a big name such as Carlos Santana playing lead guitar, and Khaled singing in English, the producers of this album hope that Khaled would make his mark in the United States.

Moreover, the order of the songs was changed. The title track "Mani Hani" was moved to the end of the album. The song "Ya-Rayi" was rerecorded, rearranged and remixed by Dawn Elder. The song "Zine Zina" was pulled out of the album. The song "El-H'mam" was pulled out of the album only to be lived by its remix. The songs "H'Mama" and "Ensa El Hem" where shortened by removing their intro.

The United States album release was kicked off with a concert tour in the United States and Canada. The tour was entitled "Peace through Music, 'Love to the People'". Khaled toured along with Elan Atias, K. C. Porter, Walfredo Reyes, Luis Conte Jr., Cheb-i-sabbah.

The tour dates were:
* July 1: Washington DC, USA, Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University
* July 3 : New York, New York, USA, Summerstage - Central Park
* July 5: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Montreal Jazz Festival
* July 8: Los Angeles, California, USA, Grand Performances
* July 10: San Francisco, California, USA, Stern Grove Festival
* July 13: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, House of Blues
* July 14: Orlando, Florida, USA, House of Blues
* July 16: Detroit, Michigan, Concert of Colors
* July 17: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, Festival d'été de Québec

United States Track Listing

# Ya-Rayi
# Love to the People (English version), Featuring Elan Attias and Carlos Santana
# Ya Galbi
# H'Mama
# Hagda
# Yema Yema
# Ensa El Hem
# El Ghira
# Lemen
# Mani Hani
# Love to the People (Arabic version), Featuring Elan Attias and Carlos Santana
# El-H'mam (Imhotep Remix)

External links

* [http://www.shawshara.com/wiki/Ya-Rayi Ya-Rayi on Shawshara.com] , Ya-Rayi's lyrics and English lyrics translation.