Raï, Popular Folk Song of Algeria

Raï is a popular folk singing from Algeria. It is a means that people use to address social issues without taboos or censorship, and it deals with various topics such as love, freedom, despair, and social restrictions.
Raï singing is a genre for young people, as it gives them a channel and an ample room to express their feelings and enhance their endeavors towards liberation from the restrictions of society. This art was originally practiced in the rural areas of Algeria and then gained wide national fame, and today its performances have moved from enclosed spaces to various cultural events, celebrations, and national and religious festivals.
Raï musicians make and decorate their musical instruments, and this art is transmitted informally through observation and formally through learning and training.

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Raï, Popular Folk Song of Algeria was inscribed in 2022 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Algeria.