They are the musical styles most favoured by the dispossessed in their respective countries, by those who have little to lose and a lot to say. They antagonize the values of “decent” society and the cultural mainstream. They value lyrical improvisation and “borrow” musical ideas from many sources if and when necessary. As it turns out, that is a superficial and distant reading of a phenomenon that might be better compared to rap:Īmerican rap and Algerian raï are both styles born out of a strong local culture which use the language of the street to express opinions about street life. On the surface, and in numerous videos, Raï appears to be little more than party music, a pop variety from North Africa, with little overt sense of being subversive, critical, or even particularly opinionated despite the literal meaning of its name. Khaled is the man who brought north-African music to a new audience in Europe, shaking up the pop scene in France and becoming as influential as Bob Marley in the process.Ĭheb Khaled, dubbed the King of Raï, is perhaps the most prominent star of this wonderful Algerian musical phenomenon known as Raï (which means “opinion”). ![]() You’d never guess that he is “the king of raï”, and one of the greatest celebrities of the Arab world. In his black jeans and striped shirt, Khaled resembles the stocky boss of some Algerian trucking company.
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