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Journal of Black Studies
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The Evolution of Rai Music

Hana Noor Al-Deen

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Rai has evolved from native Orani-Algerian music with provocative lyrics sung at local cafes, bars, and bordellos to the most popular and controversial music in North Africa today. Itwas banned from the Algerian broadcast media because it was considered subversive by the Algerian government until the 1980s. Rai has been regarded as the symbol of cynicism and has become as essential to the identity of the Algerians as the blues was to Blacks in America. Rai musicians created a unique style of music that combined Eastern and Western influences. The lyrics are in conversationalstyle Arabic of North Africa that is a mix of Arabic and some of the romance languages. Rai singers recite their rhyming verses switching from one tongue to another in a single sentence. Rai enjoys popularity throughout the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia and is slowly gaining popularity in the English-speaking countries.

Key Words: rai music • Algerian music • Maghreb music • North African music

Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 35, No. 5, 597-611 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0021934704273906
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