Ever since I went to Paris in December 2009, I have had a mild obsession with Algerian music or Raï, which literally means “opinion” in Arabic.  It was so interesting to see the North African community in Paris, and in the short time I was there I developed an affinity for them and their Franco-Arab culture. Raï originates from a town called Oran in Algeria and is a folksy type of Bedouin music that began in the 1930s.  Learning about the history of raï is fascinating insofar as it weaves gender relations with the present religious extremism and the past colonization.  The rural soul of this type of music fuses art with social and political issues that narrate Algerian history better than any book. It also incorporates French and Spanish musical influences as part of the reality of European presence in the region. A raï singer is often referred as Cheb (male) and Chebba (female), which means “young one.” So you have Cheb Khaled or Chebba Fadela in contrast with the traditional titles like “sheikh” (referred to older people to indicate wisdom).  The title of this post is a song by Rachid Taha and it means “Everybody Out” or literally “get out, get out” as it refers to the troubling conditions in Algeria that led many to flee to France. Many raï singers therefore now reside in Paris since their persecution by Islamists after Algeria gained independence in 1962.  However, I will leave you with a song by the French-born Algerian singer Faudel called “Eray” since it has been stuck in my head for quite a while now.