Rai Story: From Cheikha Rimitti to Cheba Djenet (2004)

Filmmakers Madeleine Verschaffelt and Ahmed Rachedi take us on a musical journey with RAI STORY, starting in the Algerian city of Oran, where the rai musical tradition began. In 1923, the first rai singers performed from behind screens at weddings and festivals so that their identity would be protected. It was only when the music of rai singer Cheikha Remitti began to gain popularity with the masses that the music was brought into the open, beginning with Remitti's first public performance in 1940. While on their quest to interview the legendary Cheikha Remitti, the filmmakers meet with singers such as Bouthelja Belkacem, Cheba Dalila and Cheba Djenet. They trace the transformation of rai music through the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s, exploring the careers of the musicians that have helped to keep this musical tradition alive. Although rai has been adapted for each new generation, its popularity has remained constant. It is not the pop music of today, but the sweet voices of rai you can hear spilling from the streets, shops and cafes of Oran.