The Time is Near! The concert for Raï’n’B Fever is sold out. The producer behind this celebration of Western and Maghreb music, which has been going strong for 20 years, has just announced it on his social media. Back in the early 2000s, with the legendary concert “1,2,3 Soleil”, featuring icons Khaled, Faudel, and Rachid Taha, Raï was still at its peak in France.
Today, with the overwhelming dominance of urban music—a term often criticized for inaccurately labeling everything coming from working-class neighborhoods—Raï artists struggle to regain their former glory. However, oriental music has now significantly influenced rap and urban music. As early as the 2000s, the famous “Leï leï la” by Sinik in “Bienvenue chez les Bilkas”, sampling “Thé à la menthe” by La Caution, foreshadowed the 2020s, where “urban music” artists would become key ambassadors of oriental music.
The Battle for African Streams!
Contrary to the common misconception that Africa lags behind in technology, the continent has undergone a digital revolution without even going through the computer era. Instead, people have directly transitioned to smartphones. This massive adoption of new technologies has made Africa a strategic market where advertising campaigns often prove far more profitable than in Europe.
Monetizing African streams has become a central issue for the global music industry.
Many prominent French producers, such as Jean-Pierre Seck, Passi, and Bob Djani, are now focusing their attention on Africa, where economic opportunities in the music sector are booming.
Urban Music Listeners on Both Sides of the Mediterranean
Rap fans can now be found on both sides of the Mediterranean. This is evident in the packed showcases held in Casablanca, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. French rap artists today enjoy a popularity that spans the entire Francophonie, unlike their French pop counterparts of the past, whose influence was more centered around Canada and Belgium.
For example, artists like Céline Dion, Garou, and France Gall, who often hailed from these countries, embodied this musical exchange. Today, French rap is shifting more towards the Maghreb. Artists like ElGrandeToto perfectly illustrate this trend, maintaining a balanced audience between the Maghreb and France.
Collaborations between French rap and Maghrebian rap are multiplying, as seen with ElGrandeToto, who has worked with many European and French artists. Rim’K, for instance, has also embraced this connection, as evidenced by his collaboration with Sofiane Pamart and Tif on the track “Tant pis”, celebrating Algeria.
Canada, once a key partner in Francophone music, has taken a backseat in today’s rap scene. A few Canadian rappers, like Roi Heenok, are known in France, but their numbers remain small compared to the vast exchanges between French and Maghrebian rap.
This movement highlights a redefinition of cultural and musical ties in the Francophone world, with the Maghreb now occupying a central role in contemporary rap. This evolution reflects an increasing diversity in musical exchanges and a stronger foundation for rap as a bridge between cultures across the Mediterranean.
Listeners from Europe, North Africa, and beyond now rally around music that transcends borders, bringing together communities from diverse backgrounds. This cultural blending not only enriches artistic productions but also offers a more inclusive and global vision of Francophonie within today’s music industry.
The Cultural Porosity Between France and the Maghreb
This cultural porosity manifests both directly and indirectly, through groundbreaking projects, diverse musical influences, and reinterpretations of musical genres.
1. Iconic Projects: The Example of Raï’n’B Fever
One of the most representative projects of this cultural fusion is Raï’n’B Fever, launched in the early 2000s by producer DJ Kore. This project aimed to merge French urban culture with Raï sounds, creating a unique mix of R&B, rap, and Raï.
Some standout tracks from this project include:
- “Un Gaou à Oran” – 113, Magic System & Mohamed Lamine
- “Sobri (Notre Destin)” – Leslie & Amine
- “Just Married” – Relic & Amine
2. Indirect Influences in Contemporary Movements
Cultural porosity is also evident in genres like Drill, a musical movement originating in Chicago that later spread to New York, London, and Paris.
In France, artists such as Ziak incorporate traditional Arab instruments into their music, such as the ney (a Middle Eastern flute) and the derbuka (a type of drum). These elements bring an oriental touch to French Drill, demonstrating how Maghrebian cultures have influenced urban music in France.
3. The Reappropriation of Raï and Oriental Influences
Artists like Lartiste and Nej’ integrate strong oriental influences into their music, drawing inspiration from Raï legends of the 80s and 90s while also incorporating elements from Bollywood and Indian music.
Conclusion
The cultural porosity between France and the Maghreb represents a continuous fusion of musical genres. Whether through Raï’n’B Fever, Drill music influences, or the reinvention of Raï by contemporary artists, this dynamic illustrates an ever-evolving scene where music continues to bridge cultures across the Mediterranean.
