Raï: Algeria's Rebel Music, From Oran's Bars to the World

In the bars and wedding halls of Oran, Algeria's great port city on the Mediterranean, singers once performed songs that respectable society did not want to hear: songs about love, alcohol, longing, loneliness and the frustrations of life. Their music became known as raï. Over the course of a century, it grew from a local, sometimes scandalous sound into one of the best-known musics of North Africa — and a symbol of freedom for young people across the Arab world and beyond.

What does raï mean?

In Algerian Arabic, raï means "opinion" or "point of view." Singers often used the word as an exclamation in their songs, and it became the name of the genre. It suits the music well: raï has always been about people expressing their own views and feelings, often against convention.

The cheikhas

Raï's roots lie in the rural music of western Algeria and in the cosmopolitan life of Oran in the early 20th century, where Arab, Berber, Spanish, French, Jewish and other influences mixed. Early raï was performed by singers called cheikhs and cheikhas (masters, male and female), accompanied by flutes, drums and later violins and accordions.

The most famous was Cheikha Rimitti (1923–2006), a woman from a poor rural background who began singing in the 1930s and 1940s. Her songs spoke frankly about love, desire, alcohol and the hardships of women's lives, which shocked conservative listeners. She continued to perform for over six decades and is remembered as the "mother of raï."

Pop raï: the "chebs"

In the 1970s and 1980s, a new generation took raï electric. Young singers — who called themselves cheb (young man) or cheba (young woman) to distinguish themselves from the older cheikhs — added synthesisers, drum machines, electric guitars and influences from Western pop, reggae and disco. Cheap cassettes spread the music across Algeria and to Algerian communities in France.

The biggest star was Cheb Khaled, later known simply as Khaled, born in Oran in 1960. His songs "Didi" (1992) and "Aïcha" (1996) became international hits, topping charts in France and across the Arab world and even reaching India and beyond. He became known as the "King of Raï." Other stars included Cheb Mami, Chaba Fadela and Cheb Sahraoui.

Raï under threat

Raï's frankness made it a target. In the 1990s, Algeria was torn by a brutal civil war between the government and armed Islamist groups. Some extremists condemned raï as immoral. In 1994, the popular romantic singer Cheb Hasni was assassinated in Oran, and the following year the producer Rachid Baba Ahmed was also killed. Many raï musicians left for France.

Despite the violence, raï continued — in exile, on cassettes and on the radio — and became a symbol of the right to sing, love and live freely.

A global sound

From its base in France, where millions of people have North African heritage, raï influenced French pop and hip hop. Its singers collaborated with musicians from around the world, and the sound spread to Morocco, Tunisia, the Middle East and beyond.

In 2022, UNESCO recognised raï, popular folk song of Algeria, on its list of humanity's intangible cultural heritage, describing it as a means of conveying social realities without taboos.

Raï belongs to a family of North African musical traditions, alongside the Gnawa of Morocco and the rich Andalusian heritage celebrated at Morocco's Fes Festival of World Sacred Music.

Why it matters

Raï is the story of a music that refused to be quiet. It began in the bars of Oran with women singing about their own lives, grew into a pop sensation, survived a civil war in which its singers were targeted, and ended up recognised as world heritage. Its name means "opinion" — and its history shows how much courage it can take to express one.

Further reading

• Marc Schade-Poulsen, Men and Popular Music in Algeria: The Social Significance of Raï (University of Texas Press, 1999)
• Bouziane Daoudi and Hadj Miliani, L'aventure du raï (Seuil, 1996)
• UNESCO — Raï, popular folk song of Algeria (2022)