Raï ! Raï ! Raï ! Cheikha Rabia & Bellemou

by Cheikha Rabia / Bellemou

"Trumpeter extraordinaire, Bellemou is one of the founders of 'popraï.'
His music is steeped in the tradition of urban Algeria and the great
women singers of the past, yet he has also been a big influence for many
of the younger group of Rai singers." - David Muddyman, writer for
Gramophone & Rough Guide to World Music

Raï! Raï! Raï!, a film by Claude Santiago, focuses on two major figures
in Algerian music: Cheikha Rabia, the master of traditional raï, and
Bellemou, the creator of modern raï. Close-up shots best characterize
the way the concerts were filmed, disconnecting the singers from their
environment and emphasizing the individual performance of each
musician and dancer. A reinvented interaction between colors and
shapes through a highly dynamic edit reinforces the hypnotic trance
effect that the music produces.
Shot on location at a performance at the Banlieues Bleues Festival
near Paris, this film is part of La Huit's Freedom Now collection.
Creative music of many kinds constitutes the heart of the collection.
Total freedom was given to directors, who are reputed for their loving
experience of filming music.