Musique Rai

[Drew S.]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Hello all,

Just popped in to introduce a form of music I have recently been listening to.

I just discovered this through my Arabic studies. It's called "rai" ("attitude/opinion"), and comes mostly from Algeria and Algerian practitioners expatriated to France, and it's a combination of Arabic (and French) poetry with Arabic tonal scales and Western instruments and refraining. It's really cool and pretty rousing. It got its start as discontented Algerian street music early last century, the music of "drunks, outcasts, and whores", and has evolved into music of youth and passions along with protest.

I've just gotten into it, but do a search on "Khaled" or "Cheb Mami" and you'll find good stuff. I really recommend a duet by Rachid Taha and Khaled called "Abdel Kader".

Check it out for good stuff a little outside the box.</div>

[New and Improved Zeus]

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Hey, Arabic music, for the most part, blows. It's just one freaking beat with different lyrics for about 99% of the music. There is some neo-Arabic stuff out there, but it blows too</div>

[Drew S.]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>At least give it a try before making your prejudgements.</div>

[SineSwiper]

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>I consider him the expert of all things Arabic in this shrine, so he might be right. Then again, Zeus's opinions on music aren't all that great, either. (Read: 80's hair bands)</div>

[New and Improved Zeus]

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Oh, I wasn't dissin' you, just trying to help you out by making my opinions on Arabic music known. I've probably had more exposure to it than everyone else here combined (you lucky fucks). Some older ones that are REALLY popular are George Wassuf and Shadi Jamil; I just don't like them</div>

[New and Improved Zeus]

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Oh, I'm no expert in all things Arabic. There are too many Arabic sects for that. But I do know good music when I hear it :-)</div>

[Drew S.]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>have you ever heard cheb khaled? or cheb mami?</div>

[New and Improved Zeus]

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>The first one, yes. But trust me, i try and avoid Arabic music at all costs. I was forced to listen to it endlessly and go to endless parties and weddings featuring the music in a volume that would make standing by the speaker at Lalapalooza seem like the quietest place on earth</div>

[Drew S.]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>well, i still say that rai is good music. everyone who hasn't been yalla'd out (in other words everyone except Zeus), take a chance on checking it out.</div>

[SineSwiper]

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>Cheb Mami did a remix of Sting's Desert Rose, didn't he?</div>

[SineSwiper]

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>Well, I think the music definately has potential with a unique instrument set. Oddly enough, the ones who would do the best at it would be the ones with the least exposure to it (and not appeal to the Arabic masses).</div>

[Drew S.]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>yes. i think also more than that he was the background singer doing the arabic vocals.</div>