Raï

This article is about the musical genre. For other uses, see Rai.

Raï
Covers of Raï albums from the 1980s
Native name	راي
Stylistic origins	Bedouin music malhun wahrani
Cultural origins	Early 20th century in the Oranie region, Algeria
Fusion genres
Raï'n'B
Local scenes
Aïn Témouchent Mascara Oran Oujda Relizane Saïda Sidi Bel Abbès Tlemcen
Other topics
Music of Algeria

Raï, popular folk song of Algeria
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Country	Algeria
Domains	Oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events and traditional craftsmanship
Reference	01894
Region	Arab States
Inscription history
Inscription	2022 (17th session)
List	Representative

Raï (/raɪ.i/, /raɪ/; Arabic: راي, rāy, [ra:j]), sometimes written rai, is a form of Algerian popular music whose origins date back to the 1920s. Younger singers of Raï are called cheb (شاب) or cheba (شابة), i.e. 'young', as opposed to sheikh (شيخ, 'shaykh'), i.e. 'old', the name given to older and Chaabi singers. The tradition arose in the city of Oran, primarily among the poor. Traditionally sung by men, by the end of the 20th century, female singers became common. The earliest lyrics dealt with social issues such as disease and the policing of European colonies that affected native populations.