Raina Rai YA ZINA

There are moments in your life you never forget. I cannot even looking back compare what I felt the first time listening to this song YA ZINA by RAINA RAI to other things that have happened in my life but it was a beautiful healing moment. My first book that I wrote called BIG MAHBOULA talks about my love for RAINA RAI. I wanted to post this song because YA ZINA is about the closest thing Algeria has to a Santana like anthem. I got a chance to see them live in December 2007. Lofti Attar the lead guitarist is so unbelievably good and you can literally feel yourself lifting out of your body when he plays. They are from ( RAINA RAI) a little city outside of ORAN called SIDI BEL ABBES. Raina Rai has been touring outside of Algeria in the past . Lately I think they are playing gigs in the arab world and Algeria. I think gigs alone in Algeria keep them pretty busy. Ya Zina, the song basically says Hey Beautiful, pour me some tea ( Hence DIRI LA TAY) Drinking tea is a pretty normal occurance in Algeria, they drink tea and coffee everyday ....not like most of us Americans who drive through drive thru and drink our lattes. Life a few years ago in Algeria was alot slower... Its seems to have sped up a great deal lately.Here are some alblums that have ya zina on it and the book I wrote a few years ago about RAI.




Here is another video of Lofti Attar. I actually got a chance to talk to him for a while and I think he really really loves hard core American blues and would feel very at home at a HOUSE OF BLUES jamming with some old deep south guitarists. Rock on Lofti.