Alabina
Encyclopedia
Alabina is a French-based group that performs a mix of world music
: Middle Eastern
, Arabic, French, Hebrew
, and Spanish Gypsy music. Alabina consists of lead singer Ishtar
, who does the female vocals, and the band Los Niños de Sara
, who provide male vocals and music.
Although the name of the group is often written "Alabína", the accent on the "i" is an unnecessary addition. The mistake may be attributed to the group's use of the font Papyrus on its album covers. In this font, dotted i's look as though they carry accents.
, who does the female vocals, and the band Los Niños de Sara
, who provide male vocals and music.
. Her parents are Jewish from Moroccan
and Egyptian descent. She speaks and sings in Arabic
, Hebrew
, French
, Spanish
, and English
; she also says she "half-speaks" "Moroccan." Ishtar began performing in clubs at age 15 and continued even in the Israeli army, where she served as an helicopter technician. Though she was born Eti Zach, she chose the name "Ishtar
," a Mesopotamian goddess, because her grandmother called her Ester, which "with her Egyptian accent it sounded like Ishtar," she said.
As the lead singer of Alabina, Ishtar frequently sings in Arabic, complementing the Spanish of Los Niños de Sara. She often sings Arabic-style, with a wavering voice and trilling. She also sings Hebrew songs, sometimes songs from her childhood, only alone, however — not with Alabina. Occasionally she joins Los Niños in Spanish. On her own, she frequently sings French. Nine out of twelve songs in her album The Voice of Alabina are in French — and she has two songs in English: "C'Est La Vie My Baby" (Truly (Emet)) and "Last Kiss" (The Voice of Alabina).
Ishtar is frequently featured on Alabina album covers. She has dyed blond hair, which is sometimes curly, and dark brown eyes. She has been noted for her provocative dress in pictures and at concerts.
On her own, Ishtar has produced three albums: The Voice of Alabina (2000), Truly (Emet) (2003) and Je sais d'où je viens (2005). The first is mainly composed of French songs, the second is mostly in Hebrew, and Ishtar's last album is primarily in Arabic, with four songs in French, one in Spanish and significant chunks of English dispersed throughout.
Ishtar currently lives in France.
, France. The four cousins are named Antonio ("Tonio") (also written Antoine) Contreras, Ramón Compas, Santiago ("Santi") Lorente, and Coco. Though they speak both Spanish and French, they only sing in their native Spanish. Tonio, the lead male singer, plays guitar. In addition to all providing back-up vocals, Ramón and Santi play guitar and Coco plays percussion.
On their own, Los Niños have produced two CDs: La Cubanita (2001) and Gipsyolé (2003). Their songs often speak of family, love, and God. Los Niños are Catholic
.
Their birthdays are: Tonio, March 27; Ramón, January 7; Santi, September 4; and Coco, September 5.
They currently live in France
.
, Spanish music
, French
, raï
, flamenco, gypsy, Arabic, and at times, Western pop. The group often takes older songs, for example, "Habibi Ya Nour El Ain," the Arabic song of Amr Diab
, and adds a mix of styles and languages and Alabina's own flavor. The new version, "Habibi de Mis Amores," in both Arabic and Spanish, is one example. Another example is "Lolole (Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
)", which Alabina turned into an upbeat Arabic-Spanish song, which though it can be recognized from the melody, is far from its original: a Western pop song in English. The song "Alabina" is well known in France for being the end credits music in the French comedies La Vérité si je mens!
and La Vérité si je mens! 2. Their single "Ole y ola" reached number 19 on the French music charts in 1997 and was certified silver. The single "Alabina" spent 21 weeks on the charts, peaking at 29.
Some of Alabina's most popular songs include:
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
: Middle Eastern
Middle Eastern music
The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...
, Arabic, French, Hebrew
Music of Israel
The music of Israel is a combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical culture. For more than 100 years, musicians have sought original stylistic elements that would define the emerging national spirit...
, and Spanish Gypsy music. Alabina consists of lead singer Ishtar
Ishtar (singer)
Ishtar is an Israeli-born pop singer who performs in Arabic, Hebrew, Bulgarian, French, Spanish, and English...
, who does the female vocals, and the band Los Niños de Sara
Los Niños de Sara
Los Niños de Sara are Spanish-speaking Gypsies from Montpellier, France. They perform on their own, but they are best known for the involvement in the musical group Alabina.-Background:...
, who provide male vocals and music.
Although the name of the group is often written "Alabína", the accent on the "i" is an unnecessary addition. The mistake may be attributed to the group's use of the font Papyrus on its album covers. In this font, dotted i's look as though they carry accents.
Name
According to Alabina.org, the word is Arabic and Alabina has two meanings: "let's go" and "God is between us." The name comes from the title of Alabina's first song. It is also the name of the group's first album.Group
Alabina consists of lead singer IshtarIshtar (singer)
Ishtar is an Israeli-born pop singer who performs in Arabic, Hebrew, Bulgarian, French, Spanish, and English...
, who does the female vocals, and the band Los Niños de Sara
Los Niños de Sara
Los Niños de Sara are Spanish-speaking Gypsies from Montpellier, France. They perform on their own, but they are best known for the involvement in the musical group Alabina.-Background:...
, who provide male vocals and music.
Ishtar
Ishtar was born and raised in IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Her parents are Jewish from Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Egyptian descent. She speaks and sings in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
; she also says she "half-speaks" "Moroccan." Ishtar began performing in clubs at age 15 and continued even in the Israeli army, where she served as an helicopter technician. Though she was born Eti Zach, she chose the name "Ishtar
Ishtar
Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.-Characteristics:...
," a Mesopotamian goddess, because her grandmother called her Ester, which "with her Egyptian accent it sounded like Ishtar," she said.
As the lead singer of Alabina, Ishtar frequently sings in Arabic, complementing the Spanish of Los Niños de Sara. She often sings Arabic-style, with a wavering voice and trilling. She also sings Hebrew songs, sometimes songs from her childhood, only alone, however — not with Alabina. Occasionally she joins Los Niños in Spanish. On her own, she frequently sings French. Nine out of twelve songs in her album The Voice of Alabina are in French — and she has two songs in English: "C'Est La Vie My Baby" (Truly (Emet)) and "Last Kiss" (The Voice of Alabina).
Ishtar is frequently featured on Alabina album covers. She has dyed blond hair, which is sometimes curly, and dark brown eyes. She has been noted for her provocative dress in pictures and at concerts.
On her own, Ishtar has produced three albums: The Voice of Alabina (2000), Truly (Emet) (2003) and Je sais d'où je viens (2005). The first is mainly composed of French songs, the second is mostly in Hebrew, and Ishtar's last album is primarily in Arabic, with four songs in French, one in Spanish and significant chunks of English dispersed throughout.
Ishtar currently lives in France.
Los Niños de Sara
Los Niños de Sara (in Spanish, "Sara's children") are Spanish-speaking Gypsies from MontpellierMontpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, France. The four cousins are named Antonio ("Tonio") (also written Antoine) Contreras, Ramón Compas, Santiago ("Santi") Lorente, and Coco. Though they speak both Spanish and French, they only sing in their native Spanish. Tonio, the lead male singer, plays guitar. In addition to all providing back-up vocals, Ramón and Santi play guitar and Coco plays percussion.
On their own, Los Niños have produced two CDs: La Cubanita (2001) and Gipsyolé (2003). Their songs often speak of family, love, and God. Los Niños are Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
.
Their birthdays are: Tonio, March 27; Ramón, January 7; Santi, September 4; and Coco, September 5.
They currently live in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Music
Alabina's music mixes many styles, cultures, and languages: Middle EasternMiddle Eastern music
The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...
, Spanish music
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, French
French music
French music may refer to:*The music of the French*French classical music*French folk music*In Canada, French music may rather refer to the music of the French-Canadians, most often the music of Quebec or Acadians...
, raï
Raï
Raï is a form of folk music that originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s....
, flamenco, gypsy, Arabic, and at times, Western pop. The group often takes older songs, for example, "Habibi Ya Nour El Ain," the Arabic song of Amr Diab
Amr Diab
Amr Abdol-Basset Abdol-Azeez Diab is an Egyptian singer and composer of geel music; the contemporary face of Egyptian el-geel pop music, according to World Music. Diab is the best-selling Arab recording artist of all time, according to Let's Go Egypt...
, and adds a mix of styles and languages and Alabina's own flavor. The new version, "Habibi de Mis Amores," in both Arabic and Spanish, is one example. Another example is "Lolole (Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell and Sol Marcus for the singer/pianist Nina Simone, who first recorded it in 1964. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been recorded or performed by many artists, and is widely known by the 1965 blues rock hit...
)", which Alabina turned into an upbeat Arabic-Spanish song, which though it can be recognized from the melody, is far from its original: a Western pop song in English. The song "Alabina" is well known in France for being the end credits music in the French comedies La Vérité si je mens!
La Vérité si je mens!
La Vérité si je mens ! is a 1997 French film directed by Thomas Gilou. The plot takes place in Paris and features Eddie Vuibert , an unemployed man in financial difficulty. A rich Jewish cloth manufacturer takes Eddie into his corporation out of pity because he mistakenly believes him to be Jewish...
and La Vérité si je mens! 2. Their single "Ole y ola" reached number 19 on the French music charts in 1997 and was certified silver. The single "Alabina" spent 21 weeks on the charts, peaking at 29.
Some of Alabina's most popular songs include:
- "Salma Ya Salama (Olé Y Ola)"
- "Alabina"
- "Choukrane (Shukran)"
- "Tierra santa"
- "Salam (La Paz al Final)"
Discography
- Alabina (1996)
- The Album II (1998)
- Sahara (1999)
- L'essentiel (2000)
- The Ultimate Club Remixes (2002)