Times might be tough for dreamers, but Khalifa takes a stand. For his album Hard times for dreamers, Khalifa rounded up an international crew, bringing in Mad professor, Winston Mac Anuff, Nambo Robinson, Sly and Robbie et Steven Marley Wright (I Jah Man) to put together 12 powerful, tight songs. Each tune has its subtlety; the punchy brass section gives way to the strings, and a 50s guitar trill weaves in and out of a raw afro-beat. Robbie Shakespeare’s bassline smoothly glides us from Lagos to the Kingston suburbs, while Khalif’s masterful voice takes the lead.
Hard times for dreamers was the result of trips to Oran, Ramallah, Kingston, Paris and London, and exchanges with Sly & Robbie, Mad Professor, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Taxi Gang, Sugar Minott, Nambo Robinson, Steven Marley Wright and Paul Groucho Smykle.
Khalifa, a composer and musician since 1997, doesn’t think of his music as compartmentalized. He draws his energy straight from the roots of reggae, and exceeds our preconceptions, whether it is with French songs, blues, or North African traditional music.
On stage, Khalifa takes a business class trip from Kingston straight to Oran, stopping over in Camden, London.
The stage is his turf, his habitat; it’s worldly, hypnotic, and with the Positive Radical Sound crew, he reminds us that dreams are possible.
Times might be tough for dreamers, but Khalifa takes a stand. For his album Hard times for dreamers, Khalifa rounded up an international crew, bringing in Mad professor, Winston Mac Anuff, Nambo Robinson, Sly and Robbie et Steven Marley Wright (I Jah Man) to put together 12 powerful, tight songs. Each tune has its subtlety; the punchy brass section gives way to the strings, and a 50s guitar trill weaves in and out of a raw afro-beat. Robbie Shakespeare’s bassline smoothly glides us from Lagos to the Kingston suburbs, while Khalif’s masterful voice takes the lead.
Hard times for dreamers was the result of trips to Oran, Ramallah, Kingston, Paris and London, and exchanges with Sly & Robbie, Mad Professor, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Taxi Gang, Sugar Minott, Nambo Robinson, Steven Marley Wright and Paul Groucho Smykle.
Khalifa, a composer and musician since 1997, doesn’t think of his music as compartmentalized. He draws his energy straight from the roots of reggae, and exceeds our preconceptions, whether it is with French songs, blues, or North African traditional music.
On stage, Khalifa takes a business class trip from Kingston straight to Oran, stopping over in Camden, London.
The stage is his turf, his habitat; it’s worldly, hypnotic, and with the Positive Radical Sound crew, he reminds us that dreams are possible.
Releasing four albums with PRS, two with Sly & Robbie as well as numerous songs featuring Mad Professor, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Sly & Robbie, Taxi Gang, Sugar Minott, Nambo Robinson, Steven Marley Wright and Paul Groucho Smykle, Khalifa is also involved in teaching music in detention centres in France, in refugee camps in Palestine or in youth clubs in Oran, Algeria.
Music should help educate while exploring the depths of the Soul.
This is what Khalifa has learned to do.
He gets his energy from the sources of reggae music to take us beyond frontiers as shown in his last single ‘There’s a Light’ which music video was shot in Camden, London, or in his cover of French classic ‘Chanson pour l’auvergnat’ by George Brassens, North African style!
For nearly 17 years Khalifa keeps producing music and writing songs, inspired by his travels and by everyday life, and backed by a powerful rhythm.
A must-see performance!