Music of Algeria
Encyclopedia
Algeria
n music
is virtually synonymous with raï
among foreigners; the musical genre has achieved great popularity in France
, Spain
and other parts of Europe
. For several centuries, Algerian music was dominated by styles inherited from Al-Andalus
, eventually forming a unique North African twist on these poetic forms. Algerian music came to include suites called nuubaat (singular nuuba). Lately derivatives include rabaab and hawzii.
Music in Algeria in general offers a rich diversity of genre, popular music (Shaabi), Arabo-Andalusian music (Malouf San'aa, Gharnati, etc. ..) music classical Arabic, Bedouin, Berber music (Kabyle, Shawi, Tuareg , Etc. ..), Rai ...
Sha-bii is, in North African countries, folk music
; in Algeria, however, it refers to a style of recent urban popular music
, of which the best known performer was El Hajj Muhammad El Anka
considered like the Grand Master of Andalusian classical music
. True styles of folk music include hofii
, a form of female vocal music, and zindalii
, from Constantine
.
Biyouna
is an Algerian singer who in his music is a mixture of pop, rock, raï, jazz and other types of music. Her last record Blonde dans la Casbah
has been a great success.
Rai is a creative outlet to express political discontent,this music is a mix between Western music and Bedouin music. "Rai became an important means of cultural expression for a minority struggling to carve out an ethnic identity and a space for itself in an inhospitable, racist environment" Rai is more than simply cultural expression, it morphed into a unique blend of popular "rebel" music. "What makes raï so rebel, so politically charged, is the fact that it goes against the hard-line conservative government, a religiously fundamentalist establishment. Unlike traditional music, with its subtlety, flowery language, and innocuous subject matters, raï is notable for its blunt imagery and willingness to tackle subjects such as sex, booze, lust, and drink - all of which the deeply religious establishment frowns upon."
The Malouf is the Arab-Andalusian music of Constantine and is also well known in Tunisia and Libya, it is a very large number of diversified musical repertoire of Algeria. Nevertheless, malouf can not compete commercially with popular music, much of it Egyptian, and it has only survived because of the efforts of the Tunisian government and a number of private individuals. Malouf is still performed in public, especially at weddings and circumcision ceremonies, though recordings are relatively rare.
, inhabited mostly by speakers of Kabyle
, one of the indigenous languages of North Africa
. Kabylian folk music has achieved some mainstream success outside of its homeland, both in the rest of Algeria and abroad.
In the 1930s, Kabylians moved in large numbers to Paris
, where they established cafes where musicians like Cheikh Nourredine added modern, Western instruments like the banjo
, guitar
and violin
to Kabylian folk melodies. Slimane Azem was a Kabylian immigrant who was inspired by Nourredine and 19th century poet Si Mohand Ou Mohand to address homesickness, poverty and passion in his songs, and he soon (like many Kabylian musicians) became associated with the Algerian independence movement.
By the 1950s, Arab classical music, especially Egypt
ian superstars like Umm Kulthum, had become popular and left a lasting influence on Kabylian music, specifically in lush orchestration. Cherif Kheddam soon arose with the advent of a Kabylian branch of Radio Algiers after independence in 1962. Female singers also became popular during this period, especially Cherifa, Djamilla and Hanifa
.
Algerian independence did not lead to increased freedom for Kabylian musicians, and these Berbers soon included often covert lyrics criticizing the Ben Bella
government. Many of these musicians were inspired by other singer-songwriter
s, including Joan Baez
and Bob Dylan
, Víctor Jara
and Silvio Rodriguez
. Abranis ( pop rock amazigh music concept)
Idir
, a Kabylian geology student, sang Kabylia's first major hit, which sold an unprecedented amount in Algeria and abroad, "A Vava Inouva" (1973). Ferhat
, known for his politically uncompromising lyrics, and Aït Menguellet
, known for his poetic and inspired lyrics, also became popular during the 1970s.
During the 1980s, Kabylian music evolved into sentimental, pop-ballads performed by groups like Takfarinas
. Some of the inspiration for this evolution was the popularity of pop-rai internationally.
Modern singers include Djur Djura and Houri Aichi.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
is virtually synonymous with raï
Raï
Raï 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....
among foreigners; the musical genre has achieved great popularity in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and other parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. For several centuries, Algerian music was dominated by styles inherited from Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
, eventually forming a unique North African twist on these poetic forms. Algerian music came to include suites called nuubaat (singular nuuba). Lately derivatives include rabaab and hawzii.
Music in Algeria in general offers a rich diversity of genre, popular music (Shaabi), Arabo-Andalusian music (Malouf San'aa, Gharnati, etc. ..) music classical Arabic, Bedouin, Berber music (Kabyle, Shawi, Tuareg , Etc. ..), Rai ...
Sha-bii is, in North African countries, folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
; in Algeria, however, it refers to a style of recent urban popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, of which the best known performer was El Hajj Muhammad El Anka
El Hajj Muhammad El Anka
El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka, also known as Hadj Muhammed Al Anka, El-Hadj M'Hamed El Anka , was considered The Grand Master of Andalusian classical music and Algerian chaâbi music.-Early life:He was born on May 20, 1907, under the name Aît Ouarab Mohamed Idir Halo, on 4...
considered like the Grand Master of Andalusian classical music
Andalusian classical music
Andalusian classical music is a style of Moorish music found across North Africa in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It originates out of the music of Al-Andalus between the 9th and 15th centuries....
. True styles of folk music include hofii
Hofii
Hofii is a form of female vocal folk music that is believed to have originated from Tlemcen, Algeria. It is known to have existed from the 14th-century, when it was mentioned by Ibn Khaldun in his work Muqaddimah. It is often sung to the accompaniment of a lute.-External links:*...
, a form of female vocal music, and zindalii
Zindalii
Zindalii is an Algerian musical genre. It is a type of folk music from the city of Constantine. As a type of music, recordings of zindalii are very rare .See also: music of Algeria, Arab music...
, from Constantine
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
.
Biyouna
Biyouna
Biyouna is an Algerian singer, dancer, actress born in 1952 in Belcourt, Algiers, Algeria.-Early life:Having a very early passion for singing, she was a member of several groups: first in Fadela Dziria's group where she played tambourine, another that she directed with her accomplice Flifla, and...
is an Algerian singer who in his music is a mixture of pop, rock, raï, jazz and other types of music. Her last record Blonde dans la Casbah
Blonde dans la Casbah
Blonde dans la Casbah is Biyouna's second album, released in January 2007. Its most prominent song is single Une Blonde Platine dans la Casbah, a song dedicated to Biyouna's mother, which has since gone to number one in several countries.-About the album:...
has been a great success.
Rai is a creative outlet to express political discontent,this music is a mix between Western music and Bedouin music. "Rai became an important means of cultural expression for a minority struggling to carve out an ethnic identity and a space for itself in an inhospitable, racist environment" Rai is more than simply cultural expression, it morphed into a unique blend of popular "rebel" music. "What makes raï so rebel, so politically charged, is the fact that it goes against the hard-line conservative government, a religiously fundamentalist establishment. Unlike traditional music, with its subtlety, flowery language, and innocuous subject matters, raï is notable for its blunt imagery and willingness to tackle subjects such as sex, booze, lust, and drink - all of which the deeply religious establishment frowns upon."
The Malouf is the Arab-Andalusian music of Constantine and is also well known in Tunisia and Libya, it is a very large number of diversified musical repertoire of Algeria. Nevertheless, malouf can not compete commercially with popular music, much of it Egyptian, and it has only survived because of the efforts of the Tunisian government and a number of private individuals. Malouf is still performed in public, especially at weddings and circumcision ceremonies, though recordings are relatively rare.
Kabylia
Kabylia is a region east of the capital AlgiersAlgiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, inhabited mostly by speakers of Kabyle
Kabyle language
Kabyle or Kabylian is a Berber language spoken by the Kabyle people north and northeast of Algeria. Estimates about the number of speakers range from 5 million to about 7 million speakers worldwide, the majority in Algeria.-Classification:The classification of Kabyle is Afro-Asiatic, Berber and...
, one of the indigenous languages of North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. Kabylian folk music has achieved some mainstream success outside of its homeland, both in the rest of Algeria and abroad.
In the 1930s, Kabylians moved in large numbers to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where they established cafes where musicians like Cheikh Nourredine added modern, Western instruments like the banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
to Kabylian folk melodies. Slimane Azem was a Kabylian immigrant who was inspired by Nourredine and 19th century poet Si Mohand Ou Mohand to address homesickness, poverty and passion in his songs, and he soon (like many Kabylian musicians) became associated with the Algerian independence movement.
By the 1950s, Arab classical music, especially Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian superstars like Umm Kulthum, had become popular and left a lasting influence on Kabylian music, specifically in lush orchestration. Cherif Kheddam soon arose with the advent of a Kabylian branch of Radio Algiers after independence in 1962. Female singers also became popular during this period, especially Cherifa, Djamilla and Hanifa
Hanifa
Hanifa may refer to:* Hanifa is an Arabic word that means "true and upright."* V. M. C. Haneefa, Indian actor* Hənifə, Azerbaijan* Hanifa Deen, Australian writer* Hanifa Mavlianova, Russian female singer...
.
Algerian independence did not lead to increased freedom for Kabylian musicians, and these Berbers soon included often covert lyrics criticizing the Ben Bella
Ahmed Ben Bella
Mohamed Ahmed Ben Bella was a soldier and Algerian revolutionary, who became the first President of Algeria.-Youth:...
government. Many of these musicians were inspired by other singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
s, including Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Víctor Jara
Víctor Jara
Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez was a Chilean teacher, theatre director, poet, singer-songwriter, political activist and member of the Communist Party of Chile...
and Silvio Rodriguez
Silvio Rodríguez
Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez is a Cuban musician, and a leader of the nueva trova movement.He is considered Cuba's best known folk singer and known for his highly eloquent and symbolic lyrics. Many of his songs have become classics in Latin American music, such as Ojalá, Playa Girón, Unicornio and...
. Abranis ( pop rock amazigh music concept)
Idir
Idir
Hamid Cheriet better known by his stage name Idir is an Algerian musician of Berber origin.- Biography :...
, a Kabylian geology student, sang Kabylia's first major hit, which sold an unprecedented amount in Algeria and abroad, "A Vava Inouva" (1973). Ferhat
Ferhat
-Given name:* Ferhat Abbas, Algerian political leader* Ferhat Bıkmaz, Turkish footballer* Ferhat Cerci, German footballer* Ferhat Çökmüş, Turkish footballer* Ferhat Kıskanç, Turkish footballer* Ferhat Öztorun, Turkish footballer-Surname:...
, known for his politically uncompromising lyrics, and Aït Menguellet
Lounis Ait Menguellet
Lounis Aït Menguellet was born in Ighil Bouammas in Tizi Ouzou Province, is a Berber singer from Algeria, who sings in the Berber language...
, known for his poetic and inspired lyrics, also became popular during the 1970s.
During the 1980s, Kabylian music evolved into sentimental, pop-ballads performed by groups like Takfarinas
Takfarinas
Takfarinas is the stage name of an Algerian Kabyle Yal musician who was born in 1958. Takfarinas took his surname from the ancient warrior of North Africa Tacfarinas who fought against the presence of the Romans in Algeria. Since 1979 Takfarinas has lived in France...
. Some of the inspiration for this evolution was the popularity of pop-rai internationally.
Modern singers include Djur Djura and Houri Aichi.
Important musicians
- BiyounaBiyounaBiyouna is an Algerian singer, dancer, actress born in 1952 in Belcourt, Algiers, Algeria.-Early life:Having a very early passion for singing, she was a member of several groups: first in Fadela Dziria's group where she played tambourine, another that she directed with her accomplice Flifla, and...
her music is a mixture of pop, rock, raï, jazz and other types of music. - Cheikh Larbi Ben Sari, composer and musician from the Tlemcen school of Andalusian music
- Abdelkrim Dali, Master of Hawzi classical music
- El Hadj Mohamed El Anka, Master of Chaabi classical music
- Cheikh Mohamed El Ghafour, musician from the Tlemcen school of Hawzi music
- Mohamed Tahar Fergani, musician and master of the Malouf classical style
- El Hachemi GuerouabiEl Hachemi GuerouabiEl-Hadj El Hachmi Guerouabi was an Algerian singer and composer of Chaâbi and one of the Grand Masters of the Algiers-based Chaâbi music.He was born in El Mouradia and grew up in Bélouizdad . Two passions occupied Guerouabi's childhood: Football and music...
, musician and reformer of the Chaabi classical style - Fadela Dziria, singer of Hawzi classical style music
- Kamel Messaoudi, singer of Chaabi music
- Warda El Djazaria, singer of classical Arab oriental music
- Dahmane El HarrachiDahmane El HarrachiDahmane El Harrachi , , was an Algerian Chaâbi singer of Chaoui Berber origin. He is mostly remembered for his song "Ya Rayah" which has since been made famous again by Rachid Taha....
, a singer composer and songwriter of Chaabi music - ZahoZahoZehira known by her artistic name Zaho is an Algerian R&B singer living in Montréal, Canada.-Biography:...
, an AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n R&B singer based in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. - Souad MassiSouad MassiSouad Massi , born August 23, 1972, is an Algerian singer, songwriter and guitarist. She began her career performing in the Kabyle political rock band Atakor, before leaving the country following a series of death threats...
singer, songwriter and guitarist now living in France - Karim Abranis singer, songwriter and guitarist now living in France
- Khaled, former king of Raï. Singer, songwriter now living in France.
External links
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (90 minutes): Rai music in Oran and the Kasbah of Algiers. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (90 minutes): Rachid Taha and the Kabilian mountains.. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clips - music of Algeria. French National Library. Accessed November 25, 2010.Audio clip: traditional Algerian music. Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.