In the third of our eight-part series Music of the Arab World, Saeed Saeed gives us the lowdown on the anti-establishment genre, rai.
The origins
Raï's cultural origins stem back to the early 1900s in the western Algerian harbour city of Oran. Chafing against conservative attitudes, young Algerians mixed Arabic poetry and traditional folk music with western flavours, including electric instruments, drum patterns and melodies. The city's coastal location and its proximity to Morocco and Spain (therefore Europe) resulted in the city's very own French, Arab, Jewish and Spanish quarters. Mix each respective community's musical styles with the addition of rugged Bedouin grooves and raï was born, growing to become a regular mainstay of the city's nightlife.
The music
Raï's musical evolution was often based on both the cultural influences in Oran and the growth of musical technology in Algeria. Early raï compositions showcased an eclectic blend featuring gnawa, flamenco and French cabaret. With Egyptian classical music holding sway in the Arab world and North Africa in the 1930s, raï artists began incorporating pianos and accordions.
By the 1970s, which brought advanced recording techniques and easier access to music from Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and South America, some raï songs adopted reggae riddims as well as synthesizers, electric guitars and drum machines. It was at this stage that the raï-pop and raï-rock subgenres were born, resulting in artists such as the producer Rachid Baba Ahmed, Belkacem Bouteldja and Cheb Khaled, each tasting international success.
The words
With raï meaning "opinion" in Arabic, the singers are no fence-sitters when it comes to lyrics. Similar to the blues or punk, the abused and downtrodden found solace in raï songs, which often speak of escape through protest or sheer hedonism.
Understandably, the genre became the scourge of all sorts of powerful groups, including Algeria's military junta, which feared raï's ability to galvanise the youth, and extremist groups decrying its salaciousness. There were also the Marxists who viewed raï as a form of western cultural imperialism. Raï played a major role in igniting Algerian anti-government protests in the mid-1980s.
Khaled's El Harba Wayn (To Flee, But Where) became a protest anthem in 1988 with lyrics decrying how "the rich gorge themselves, the poor work themselves to death ... you can always cry or complain. Or escape ... but where?" Algeria's government attempted to stifle the genre by banning the importation of blank cassette tapes and concerts, and at one stage confiscating the passports of singers. However, such measures paled in comparison to the dark period of the mid-1990s, when Islamist organisations assassinated the popular raï singers Cheb Hassni, Cheb Aziz, Lounès Matoub and Rachid Baba-Ahmed as part of Algeria's bloody civil war. Performers such as Cheb Mami, Cheba Fadela and Cheb Khaled fled to France and helped keep the genre alive.
The stars
To underscore the youthful energy of raï, most male and female singers are referred to as "cheb" and "chaba" respectively, meaning "youngster".
The singer-songwriter Cheb Khaled, nicknamed the "King of Raï", has been largely responsible for bringing raï to international ears. His 1992 single Didi was a hit in Europe and the Middle East and was on the soundtrack of the Bollywood film Shreeman Aashiq. His 1996 single Aïcha also became a hit and in 1997, Cheb Khaled's song Alech Taadi was added to the soundtrack of the Bruce Willis sci-fi thriller The Fifth Element.
Cheb Mami, an acclaimed raï artist in his own right, truly hit the big time in 1999 courtesy of his star turn on Sting's single Desert Rose. The undoubted "Queen of Raï" is Cheikha Remitti, one of the genre's first enfants terribles in the 1940s. Throughout a 60-year career which saw her rise to fame, be banned and return to international acclaim, Remitti recorded more than 200 songs while reportedly illiterate. She passed away age 83 in 2006 in Paris, only a few days after a concert where she wowed a 4,000-strong audience.
Next week, we will explore Khaleeji music.
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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
THE BIO
Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place
Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai
First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group
Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business
Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne
Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia
Family: Six sisters
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Result
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,950m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Adam McLean, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,950m; Winner: Conclusion, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh100,000 1,400m; Winner: Pilgrim’s Treasure, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m; Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,000m; Winner: Midlander, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Canada
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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RESULTS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
