French DJ's New Mix Showcases Cultural Influence of Migrants

With the world celebrating International Migrants Day today, a mixtape recently released under the name “Diaspora” recalls how much migrants have contributed—and continue to contribute—to the musical heritage of the nations that accept them.

“In 2012, the wave of “world music” began to hit me in the face. Edits of Turkish disco, reworks of Arab tracks, discovery of Japanese pop... What started as the effects of a fashion later became Acid Arab: the desire to focus on these melodies within only one DJ-set, not just picking a few ones mixed with our Western sounds.

More recently, I began to feel like exploring further, to go toward Greece, Armenia, Yugoslavia, and even Spain with the movement of Andalusian Arab rock, or the line China/Japan, which seemed infinitely richer that what we know in France - like the sounds studied and discovered through Acid Arab.

Part of the North-African music was recorded in France, for instance. Some hits celebrated in Greece, Turkey or Armenia were recorded in the United States. In each country where it settled, the diaspora needed to create once again a part of its native land. Through food, religion, education, and of course music. In addition, the technical conditions in the welcoming countries were usually better, allowing to give “a plus” to this music: quality recording.

Either the Algerian [Mohamed] Mazouni or the Armenian Harout [Pamboukjian], they never sounded so powerful than before recording in Paris or New York. This is also true with the Kurd band Yarinistan in Germany in the 1980s, Rachid Taha in Paris in the 1990s, the Yemenite Aharon Amram in Israel, the Hindu Kissoon Ramasar in Trinidad-Tobago, or the immigrant musicians who joined and influenced bands like Alex Oriental Experience (U.S.) or Oriental Sunshine (Norway) – I am only quoting artists included in the Diaspora mixes. The title of “Diaspora” then imposed itself as a global name for this project mixing a variety of melodies.”

The initiative is even more valuable as DJ Guido Minisky, one half of duet Acid Arab, comes from France, where an anti-refugee and anti-migrant atmosphere has led to gains for the far right.

DJ Guido Minisky | Photo: Facebook

This is “a music program outstretched toward the East,” said Guido Minisky, who decided to share three compilations showcasing the band's influences, with tracks coming from a range of countries including India, Algeria, Iran and Lebanon.

IN DEPTH: Refugee and Migrant Rights

Acid Arab is one of the rare musical initiatives in France that pays tribute to North African and Middle East musical folklore. The DJs respectfully mix it with acid house without falling into the trap of “orientalism,” thanks to their mastering of the art of “crossover.”

“We don’t paste oriental sounds on occidental beats, we want to embody both cultures without pretending to reinvent oriental music or fooling ourselves by believing we’re inventing eastern dance music. We just want to be part of it, and contribute to this brilliant and enormous masterpiece that this music is, and has been for thousands of years.”

Learn more at Diaspora’s Facebook page, Guido’s soundclound and Acid Arab’s soundclound.

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