Editing Protest song (section)

===Algeria===
[[Raï]] ({{langx|ar| "opinion" رأي}}) is a form of [[folk music]], originated in [[Oran, Algeria]] from [[Bedouin]] [[shepherd]]s, mixed with [[Music of Spain|Spanish]], [[Music of France|French]], [[African music|African]] and [[Arabic music]]al forms.  Its origins date back to the 1920s and has been primarily evolved by the women referred to as cheikhas, who performed in cafes, bars or bordellos, often for men.<ref name="Al-Deen-2005">{{Cite journal|last=Al-Deen|first=Hana Noor|date=2005|title=The Evolution of Rai Music|journal=Journal of Black Studies|volume=35|issue=5|pages=597–611|doi=10.1177/0021934704273906|jstor=40034339|s2cid=145502274}}</ref> A typical performance included the cheikhas accompanied by two to four male instrumentalists playing a gasba (a wooden flute) and gallal (a metal drum).  Rai was considered a rejection of the traditional Algerian music of the time, and the cheikhas " . . . used lewd lyrics focusing on the hardships of life facing peasant women in a big city, the pain of love, the lure of alcohol, immigration, and mourning."<ref name="Al-Deen-2005" />

By the 1950s, and through the 1960s, male musicians began performing rai music and incorporated the use of what was considered to be modern musical instruments of that time, such as the violin, the accordion, the lute, and the trumpet.<ref name="Al-Deen-2005" /> As the genre evolved over time, it continued to have associations with political movements and organizations, such as the Algerian Freedom Fighters who rallied against the French occupation.  Even after Algeria achieved independence in 1962, Rai continued to have an adverse relationship with the Algerian government, which exerted a tight grip upon its culture.  In fact, Raï had been banned from broadcast media, though it thrived in underground spaces, such as cabarets.<ref name="Al-Deen-2005" /> It was forbidden to the point of one popular singer, [[Cheb Hasni]], being assassinated.  However, since the government lifted its restrictions on rai in the 1980s, it has enjoyed some considerable success.

The song "Parisien Du Nord" by [[Cheb Mami]] is a recent example of how the genre has been used as a form of protest, as the song was written as a protest against the racial tensions that sparked the [[2005 civil unrest in France|2005 French riots]]. According to Memi: <blockquote>It is a song against racism, so I wanted to sing it with a North African who was born in France... Because of that and because of his talent, I chose [[K-Mel]]. In the song, we say, 'In your eyes, I feel like foreigner.' It's like the kids who were born in France but they have Arab faces. They are French, and they should be considered French."<ref>{{cite web|title=Raï: Algerian blues and protest music|url=http://unclesamscabin.blogspot.com/2007/03/ra-algerian-blues-and-protest-music.html|publisher=Uncle Tom's Cabin}}</ref></blockquote>Rai continues to be regarded, as Al-Neen states, "[the] music of rebellion and the symbol of cynicism. Rai has emerged as an outlet for voicing the frustrations of youths and placing greater emphasis on freedom and liberty."<ref name="Al-Deen-2005" />