Catcher in the Raï: Cheb Mami and "Tayo Tayo Adiani"

Algerian raï has been a music of many surprises for me. I'll highlight a few of them here. First is the knowledge that raï is born of struggle and protest, much like western rock music. Largely developed as a combination of different types of music in the 1930s in Oran, Algeria, raï came up from below. Not officially acknowledged as music by Algerian governments that promoted Arabic classical music, raï was outspoken about social issues. Its name derives from a word that singers would use to signal that an opinion was being expressed. The government of Algeria, during French colonization and then after independence, saw raï as a threat to the political and social order, and would often ban it outright. Raï was blamed for several uprisings against the government. However, starting in the late 70s as Algerian governments began to relax their strictures on the music, the raï became more of a challenge to fundamentalist Islam. In fact, Islamic fundamentalists murdered a popular raï singer in 1994 for allowing himself to be kissed by women during a televised concert.

Second, raï is an amalgamation of a number of different musics, and in that way it is like a sponge, soaking up everything around it. Originating from music and songs, called zendanis, sung by poor people in the bars of Oran, it quickly incorporated elements of musics such as medh (songs of praise to Mohammed) and the music of cheikhas (songs with hedonistic lyrics sung by women in alluring dress) and often resembled a kind of Algerian cabaret aimed at the poor and working class. From there it began to pick up elements of Spanish flamenco, gnawa, and French cabaret. Unlike many other musics from Arab countries, women played a key role in raï's development and it also developed in conjunction with dancing. Raï continues to be a sponge. In the 70s, reggae added its voice to raï. As raï began to increase in international popularity, it began to absorb even more Western influences, such as funk, rock, hip hop and other genres in the 1990s. Some of the most interesting hybrids of raï developed as a result of this infusion of new styles, including folk raï, pop raï, and even the raï punk of Rachid Taha.

One might listen to one raï song and not realize that complex and interesting history. I sure didn't know the roots of raï, but having been raised during a time when music was a voice of protest, I can certainly appreciate the role it has played in Algerian society, both as a modernizing force and as the messenger alternately informing Algerians of their social situation and warning against governmental and religious oppression. One of the foremost voices in this latter stage of raï's development is that of a man often called The Prince of Raï, Cheb Mami. Cheb Mami is the stage name of Ahmed Khelifati Mohamed, who sang in a radio contest in 1982 at the age of 16. This was during a time of governmental oppression of raï and despite the fact that he was clearly the best, he was not allowed to win the competion. However he so captivated the audience that he was awarded second prize. It was there that he was discovered by a producer, and shortly after he began releasing cassette recordings. In 1985 he moved to Paris and began to develop his own style of raï, including incorporating elements of his musical idols such as Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding and French rapper MC Solaar. Continuing the raï tradition of fusion with other musics, he also incorporates flamenco, Turkish and Greek music into his form of raï. After a 1999 duet with Sting in the song Desert Rose, he came to greater attention in America with appearances on many of the top late-night shows, morning shows, the Grammys and even the Super Bowl. He then released a very successful album, Dellali, produced by Nile Rodgers.

This song, Tayo Tayo Adiani, is from his 2008 album Douni L'bladi.