Rai! Rai! Rai!

An unusual, trance-like form of world music little-known in the West, raï emerged as a brand of Algerian folk; it originated among Bedouin shepherds in and around Oran, Algeria, and exhibited a combination of French, Arabic, Spanish and African rhythms. A number of artists mainstreamed this genre by carrying it into the realm of contemporary pop - notably Bellemou Messaoud, or "Bellemou" (who invented the subgenre of modern raï) and Cheikha Rabia (who popularized traditional raï). As shot by Claude Santiago, this release features extensive live concert footage by both of the said artists. Santiago employs a unique cinematographic style that focuses almost exclusively on the performers in close-up and omits views of the audience, thus disconnecting the musicians from their surrounding environment.