History of Rai Music
Rai, a genre of music, developed in Oran, a seaport off the coast of Western Algeria. Rai is known as the ‘rebel music of Algeria’ because it was created during the early 1900s when Algeria was experiencing social upheaval due to the French colonization. As such, this music opposes the values of a decent society and mainstream views. ‘Rai’ translates to ‘opinion’ or ‘choice’, emphasizing its use as a form of opposition.
Rai was used by the women in Algeria during the 1920s to survive their hostile surroundings. To shock their audiences, these women had individual styles where they spoke their minds freely and often opposed society’s views. They also used Oranian street slang in their songs with French mixed in. These women were called cheikhas and the one that claimed to be the root of modern rai is Cheikha Remitti.
Even though Rai was developed in the early 1900s, it only took off in the 1950s during the Algerian Revolution when many rai artists made their first records. This fervor died down in the post-revolutionary Algeria when more traditional music was promoted. However, rai continued to survive in small gatherings, and it continued to evolve as well.
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| Cheikha Remitti |
Kleber Design Ltd. "Algerian Raï - Rebel Music Of Algeria." World Music Network. October 14,
2010. https://www.worldmusic.net/guide/music-of-algeria/.
