RICHIE HAVENS & RACHID TAHA
Speak Truth to Power
Thursday 4/16/09, 8 pm
Page Auditorium
$34 • $26 • $20 • $10 (Non-Duke Students)
$5 (Duke Students)
A product of the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene, Richie Havens received global attention with his legendary 1969 appearance leading-off Woodstock. Havens has remained an iconic artist, blessed with a fiercely soulful voice and the authority born from four decades of speaking truth to power. The Guardian (UK) hailed a Havens as "utterly transcendent," while the Independent (UK) pronounced Havens a "liberation preacher."
"An old rock star to the core," (NY Times) Rachid Taha - a French-Berber born in Algeria - mixes raï, rock, and punk to make Arabic wah-wah tunes about exile and racism. The combination of traditional and electric instruments he employs puts out a sound like the Clash being backed by bendir. "I'm a French rock 'n' roller with deep Arab roots," says Taha. "I'm a European born in Africa and a Muslim musician with a rock attitude. My music is a reminder that people can affirm their many identities without denying others."
LINKS AND MEDIA:
Rachid Taha on YouTube: