We continue our little musical trips around the world, and today’s flight is heading straight to Algeria. Business class, comfortable seats, barely a one-hour flight instead of the usual seven and a half from Dubai — and honestly, a surprisingly immersive experience.
So what exactly is inside this playlist?
A deep dive into North African and wider Arab musical heritage, built around four main sounds and atmospheres:
- Raï — raw, emotional, street-level music often centred around themes that older generations originally considered far too rebellious or provocative. Rooted in Bedouin folk music and Algerian chaabi traditions, raï carries this youthful nightlife energy. Big note: if you really want to understand the vibe of the genre, pay attention to Cheikha Rimitti. Her vocals feel almost improvised — raw but still very emotional.
- Chaabi — another big musical tradition of the region, blending Andalusian classical music, Amazigh influences, and Arabic poetry. Compared to rebellious raï, chaabi leans into a far more lyrical and melancholic style, with a slower emotional rhythm and deep storytelling energy.
- Kabyle folk — probably the softest and most nostalgic layer of the whole playlist. The music comes from the Kabyle people, an Amazigh ethnic group mainly from the mountainous Kabylie region in northern Algeria. A lot of the songs feel less like performances and more like memories being passed around — family stories, homesickness, migration and identity. Very poetic, very human music.
- Old-school Arabic funk — widening the playlist beyond Algeria itself and bringing in sounds influenced by American funk, soul, jazz, and disco.
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