Middle Eastern, North African music these days?


Anyone playing something?
inna
Another gem is 'Emociones' by the 25 Years Network. It is a 3 disc set that spans most of Africa, a little of So. America and some of South/Eastern. Europe, but mostly Africa.
Wonderfully recorded despite the age.
Spans a lot of genres.
Yep, I owned the first two Osibisa Lps. And don't discount Paul Simon's Graceland (only LP I can stand of his ;-)).

Here are some more S. African artists I enjoy. These all have labels from record stores in S. Africa. Kind of neat.

Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, Country Cooking and Procession

Sipho Mabuse, Chant of the Marching

Winston Mankunku, Jika

and this on really grabs me
Chris McGregor, Louis Moholo, and Dudu Pukwana, Blue Notes for Johnny
Really good stuff. Anyone have a top ten, top five, or favorite African recordings list? I'll list some in addition to a few I named above:

Senegal: Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck - Djam Leelii - a must have.
Eqypt: Compilation - Yalla! Hitlist Eqypt
Mali: Nahawa Doumbia - Didadi
Tanzania: Remmy Ongala - Songs for the Poor Man
Nigeria: Fela - a few of his singles
- Upside Down
- Zombie
- Just Like That
S. Africa: Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens - Paris-Soweto
Benin: Angelique Kidjo - Logozo
Senegal: Orchetra Baobab - Pirate's Choice
S. Africa: Compilation - The Indestructable Beat of Soweto

This is cheating since they are from Spain, but North African influenced:
Radio Tarifa - Rumba Argelina & also Fiebre, their live album.

Lots of very good compilations on the Rough Trade label.
Afropop Worldwide is a also a great resource: http://www.afropop.org/
That would be Egypt, as opposed to Eqypt that I seem to want to keep typing...:^)