Why does the Algerian authorities are on the Raï artists? | EUROtoday

“WAhran ki walat, our hjer, noss mat. “Translation:” Look at what has become Oran! Half of the population is exile, the other half is dying. »The slightly robotic voice in self -stuition, insistent and repetitive rhythm, encouraging both dance and melancholy. These are the lyrics of a known Raï song, released several years ago, but whose author, Cheb Hindi, has just been arrested on April 16 in Oran, according to an Algerian newspaper on the Internet.

The case has aroused great interest on social networks, which are the only places still “alive” in Algeria to express themselves. The star is a “sheikh”, that’s to say a senior of the musical style, well-known for many years and a protected wager on this enterprise. Despite the stranglehold of the Islamists and the Terror screed that prevails …