Downstairs at MOMO’s is the Kemia Bar, which opens its doors to the public every Tuesday for evenings of live music arranged by Enchanted Tunes – entrance is free, though capacity is limited so get there early. Tuesday 8th April saw the return of the Mehdi Haddab phenomenon.

“Éclate nous!” (Rock Us!) ordered Mourad Mazouz (MOMO) and that is exactly what happened as Mehdi and his new band, The Speed Caravan, shook the joint.  The Speed Caravan is Mehdi on Oud, Hermione on things digital, Pasco on bass and Bruno vocal/rap.

Mehdi, diminutive and bashful, clad in a retro leather jacket with catchy red and yellow stripes down its sleeves, took the stage and with few words began playing in an intense Hendrix like trance: eyes squeezed tight, hunched over his Oud as if the powerful chords and riffs emanated from his core in a blur of frenetic fingering and hand movements.  In his hands, Mehdi’s electric Oud is nothing less than a lethal weapon, electro rock “avec du désert”.

TO LISTEN TO A TRACK & THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK  
Speed Caravan - Qat Market:
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The Speed Caravan takes you by storm on a turbo charged world tour through space and time from Las Vegas to Mecca; visiting Armenian Oud genius Udi Hrant Kenkulian’s music from the 1930s through to a rendition of the Chemical Brother’s 2006 hit “Galvanise” in the first encore. Some would say, me actually, that Mehdi’s version of Galvanise is way better than the Brothers’ original.

The final piece of the evening was a cover of the 1979 classic Cure song “Killing An Arab”, it was released on the Cure’s 1st album “Boys Don’t Cry” 1980. Controversial Mehdi? No. Rather, artistic Mehdi: The Cure’s Killing An Arab was inspired by Albert Camus’ novel “L’Étranger” set in Mehdi’s home land, Algeria, an existential dive into the value of truth and meaning and, in which, the anti-hero Meursault is convicted of the motiveless murder of an Algerian. Mehdi supported a Cure gig in Paris many years ago and was inspired by their avant garde approach to music and that they dared to use Arab musical tonality in a pop/rock song. Mehdi’s version is an homage to the Cure as much as a provocation.

The Speed Caravan’s debut album, released in France 16 June, is called “Kalashnik Love” after Mehdi’s own love, his Oud/Kalashnikov. Mehdi gave up the electric guitar for the Oud because the guitar was ‘too limited’ preferring the challenge of the Oud’s fretless finger board, its increased musical range designed for the quarter tones of Arab musical style.

Mehdi, when are you coming back to play?

Links:
Kalashnik Love is released on New Bled on 16th June. Mehdi on Myspace & New Bled on Myspace
Tuesday’s Open to All & FREE nights at MOMO’s Kemia bar are arranged by Enchanted Tunes also see Live at MOMO and MOMO’s

Buy Mehdi’s music as DuOud here
Udi Hrant Kenkulian’s music is available on Emusic, link to it by clicking

The Cure “Killing An Arab”
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