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Block Moroccan Beats: MC Bigg is part of the pan-Arab collective Music Matbakh

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Too many cooks spoil the broth - but Music Matbakh suggests that the opposite rule applies to musicians. 'Matbakh' is simply the Arabic word for kitchen; this project, in association with the British Council and Serious, has brought together a dozen young musicians from all over the Middle East, and from pretty much every range of the musical spectrum, to concoct new collaborations.

Much respected British producer/ musician Justin Adams (Tinariwen, Robert Plant) is the encouraging yet unobtrusive director. So what happens when you mix a Moroccan rapper, a Jordanian chanteuse, a Syrian classical oud virtuoso, a Lebanese beatboxer and an Egyptian rocker and their newfound friends? Judging by the melodies flowing from their Hackney studio base, you spark an exciting recipe for success.

'I've always loved jamming; the fact that I was collaborating with other Middle Eastern musicians, including artists from Al-Mashriq (meaning the Middle East in this case) and Al-Maghrib (North Africa), really appealed to me,' enthuses Ruba Saqr, a strikingly soulful vocalist and guitarist from Jordan. 'I've been really impressed by the technical detail here - and the fact that things start on time! What could the British music scene learn from us? Our passion, probably! We only met a week ago but the harmony between us is incredible.'

Saqr has a point; Music Matbakh's diverse crew have a genuine camaraderie, reflected in their vivacious, multi-instrumental, multilingual fusions. Tunisian electronic whiz Skander Besbes says: 'We've all shaped our backgrounds in different ways; I grew up on The Beatles and Paul Simon more than Arabic legends such as Fairuz and Oum Kalthoum.' In fact, Besbes's work recalls the experimental British label Warp; individually, all of Music Matbakh's talents are a far cry from overglossed modern pop.

But then, home-grown hero (and law student) MC Bigg says: 'There is no more underground; in Morocco, hip hop is everywhere. Now I only rap in Moroccan street slang.' Bigg's ruggedly funky track Nass Ou Nass has been reworked with his new sidekicks. He laughs: 'It's more original than a remix, which is cool. I don't play instruments; I make music on my laptop. Some of the others speak an alien language to me - what's a D major?'

Music Matbakh has already proved a live hit; a low-key London acoustic gig turned into a jubilant party, and its upcoming dates will include playing to 35,000 at Casablanca's Le Boulevard youth festival. This weekend's shows are a crucial taster of real voices from the Middle East: positively lucid and thrillingly versatile.

Tonight and tomorrow, The Spitz, 109 Commercial Street E1, 7pm, £10 adv, £12 door. Tel: 020 7392 9032. www.spitz.co.uk Tube: Liverpool Street

 

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