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Some call him the 'Ruben Gonzalez of the Maghreb: born in the Algerian port of Oran into a Jewish family in 1928 Maurice El Medioni has led a remarkable life crammed full of music: from playing Jewish Andalous music at weddings, to boogie and rumba in smoke-filled bars, to becoming a cabaret star in the Paris of the 60s. Now, we ve heard him add the nostalgic notes of his oriental piano to the opening track of iconic rai musician Khaled s celebrated latest release. Medioni s inimitable style never fails to charm. Creating an evocative cocktail of Cuban rhythms, French cabaret chic and Oriental mellowness, his swinging melodies rekindle the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the Oran of the past, when it was a sparkling melting pot of religions and cultures. Play it again, Maurice!