Rai_Cheb Khaled

A number of years ago, I discoverd the genre of music originating in North Africa known as Rai. I found the music to be beautiful and, although I couldnt understand the lyrics, I sensed a passion emanating from deep within the Rai artists, particularly Cheb Khaled.

Heres what wikipedia has to say on Rai:

"Rai is a form of folk music that originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s and has been primarily evolved by women in the culture. Raï literally means opinion but is colloquially used as an interjection along the lines of "oh, yeah!"


Singers of raï are called cheb (shabb, young) as opposed to sheikh (shaykh, old), the name given to Chaabi singers. The tradition arose in cities like Oran, Relizane and Mostaganem, primarily among the poor. Traditionally sung by men, at the turn of the 20th century, female singers became common. Raï musicians as early as the 1930s were singing about social issues which affected native populations. These ranged from disease to the policing of European colonies.


Raï is a popular music style that originated in Algeria in the 1930s. It became popular among young people who sought to modernize the traditional Islamic values and attitudes. Regional, secular, and religious drum patterns, melodies, and instruments were blended with Western electric instrumentation. Raï music mixes with hip hop, reggae, funk, blues and with North African beats and rhythms. Raï's lyrics song speak to a new nationalistic identity that encourages the union of contemporary and traditional ideals. "

Apparently, Khaled has dropped the "Cheb" and just goes as Khaled now, like when Buckshot Shorty dropped the "Shorty"...makes sense...this track Ive uploaded has more of a hiphop feel to it, but still retains some elements of Rai...also, Ive stopped using Divshare--too many problems--and am now going with Mediafire...

Cheb Khaled and Iam--Oran Marseille