Nuit du raï

A musical journey through the Museum, in resonance with its collections, the Nuit du raï opens a window onto the history and present of a genre born at the beginning of the last century in western Algeria and more alive than ever. Creations, sound installation, DJ set and performances pace this journey between tradition and modernity.

From its emergence (under the name wahrani) in the Oran region, raï embodies cultural resistance to colonial and social oppression but also a upheaval of norms that would inspire many generations.

The genre first centers on singing and traditional percussion before opening to other instruments: oud, accordion, piano or banjo.

After Algeria's independence, larger orchestras took over raï, which would continue to evolve, embracing all signs of musical modernity (electric guitar, synthesizers, hybridizations with rock, funk or disco) with an inventiveness and energy perfectly embodied by the young generations of the 80s and 90s, on both sides of the Mediterranean.

Algerian singer Sofiane Saidi – at the heart of this night – lived the great days of the last raï wave when he arrived in Paris at eighteen. It was the very beginning of the 90s and the capital's nights pulsed to the rhythm of oriental cabarets.

The young musician found his place there. If raï later faded gradually from mainstream radars, its spirit of openness continues to guide Sofiane Saidi, through a journey of great richness, marked by collaborations and encounters.

The creations he proposes for Days Off are a new example, echoing a half-dozen proposals distributed throughout all spaces of the Museum. 0 Raï", the Algerian singer offers two meetings during this museum night.

First a sound creation, continuously broadcast in the 17th-century space, which engages the public in a journey through the heart of traditional Algerian music and Oran atmospheres.

In the Amphitheater, Sofiane Saidi plays two sets accompanied by violinist Théo Ceccaldi and his cellist brother, Valentin Ceccaldi. Mohamed Lamouri, singing, synthesizer You