Rai singer Rachid Bryiah seeks broader audience
2008-01-30
Moroccan Rai singer Rachid Bryiah received a helping hand from superstar Cheb Khaled, who has invited him to come to France to seek international promotion of his music. Bryiah speaks with Magharebia about his plans and about the origins of Rai music.
Interview by Imane Belhaj for Magharebia in Casablanca – 30/01/08
 [Imane Belhaj] Raï King Cheb Khaled (left) has encouraged Morocco's Rachid Bryiah (right) to find a business manager in France to help the Moroccan artist promote his work both in Morocco and abroad. |
Moroccan singer Rachid Bryiah will travel to France on invitation from Cheb Khaled, who has encouraged the Rai artist to find a business manager to promote his work both inside and outside Morocco. The "King of Rai" made his invitation to Bryiah – a relative by marriage – after the two met in Oujda last July at the first Rai Festival.
Magharebia: Hello Rachid. What are your new plans?
Bryiah: I am preparing to travel to France to sign a contract with professionals on the suggestion of King of Rai Cheb Khaled, who encouraged me in our recent meeting at the first Rai Festival in Oujda to take this step to further my career. According to him, the first step is to have a manager to promote an artist and his work.
Magharebia: So you are after an international audience?
Bryiah: Not in the whole sense of the word. I am primarily seeking professional and proper promotion of my music. I have been in the field for more than 20 years now, and I have forged a reputation of my own through Rai music based on folklore songs and songs deeply rooted in Moroccan society. Unfortunately, there hasn't been enough media support to introduce my new work. This has been a subject of discussion with Cheb Khaled, who directed me and urged me to pursue all possible channels to promote myself and my art. The logical start is to enter into a contract with a business manager from France, of course after consulting with Khaled. Hopefully, this will work well.
Magharebia: Does this mean potential plans to collaborate with Cheb Khaled?
Bryiah: If all goes well, there might be co-operation, but so far nothing is set out. As you know, Cheb Khaled is the Rai king, and was able to take that music to an international level. So, I would be happy if our meeting in France resulted in a joint effort.
Magharebia: How is Moroccan Rai related to the Algerian version?
Bryiah: Well Rai is a distinguished art, and the border area between Oujda, Morocco and Oran, Algeria – at a time when there were no borders between the two states – was well known for it. Rai has been continually passed down until today, and we share with Algerian artists such a cultural and artistic heritage, where great seniors excelled and younger generations attempted to innovate with a contemporary musical interpretation.
Magharebia: Talking of the young generations, what is your opinion of youth music today?
Bryiah: The current generation is quite open to others, in a spirit of co-existence and interaction between cultures and civilizations, which is nice. I believe that my trip to France falls within such a framework – one that benefits from others' experience. However, I refuse openness that turns into detachment from original culture and identity. I am referring here to the hip-hop phenomenon that has attracted Maghreb and Arab youth and that has become a real abstraction that threatens our identity. Hip-hop is an art that has its own peculiarities and conditions that produced it, and I do not see any comparison between what blacks have expressed in response to racial discrimination and what our young people are expressing in the name of hip-hop culture.
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RACHID-ORAN Posted 2008-01-31
This is all you took from Algeria? Rai? Here we call it the "rogue art", and respectable families don't even listen to it. You should listen instead to songs with meaning, like those of Jil Jilala or Gnaoua.
HAFIDA Posted 2008-02-02
I completely agree with Rachid! Algeria is a country with innumerable resources, but they always keep them to themselves. Rai is just a musical movement, but, because this is one of the highest gas-producing countries in the world, encouraging an Algerian-Moroccan art alliance could potentially open good terms between the two countries, which are so close and, unfortunately, so far off at the same time. Both Algerians and Moroccans are all dreaming of an alliance!
hassan Posted 2008-02-23
Hi, How is it going everybody? Thank you everyone who worked to show us everything that is interesting in the world of rai at this occasion. I am a fan of traditional rai. I hope that you will let me know where some rai websites are. Please accept my sincerest respects. Thank you
montassir Posted 2008-04-20
Hello, You are my favourite singer. I sing all of your songs. I would like to speak with you in person. I live in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. If you come to Palma, I would be so happy. My name is Khaled Hajd Brahime. Here is my telephone number:
انا عــــــادل الحكمي من السعوديه Posted 2008-04-22
I nominate the popular rai of the artist Zina Daoudia. I am a fan of Cheb Khaled, a fan of Moroccan popular Mawals. I want to address my greetings to the artist Zina, the queen of Moroccan popular song, to Cheb Khaled, and all the brothers in the brotherly Arab Maghreb. I say that Cheba Daoudia is one of the best singers. Thank you all. Aad El Hakmi, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah. Best greetings.
محمد الدومي Posted 2008-05-26
Peace and mercy of God upon you. Thank you for the interview. I am one of the dear and best fans of the Rai Art and Rachid Beryiah in particular. I am very sad for the absence of Rachid from the scene. He has only made eight albums in 20 years. What is odd is that in 1997 he produced only two tapes, one of ‘Laakl Nasi’ (the mind is forgetful) and ‘Lemima’ (the mother). I have many questions to which I would like to have answers. For example, at the beginning of the 1990’s he had an acting experience in a TV movie ‘Bayt Arrih’ (house of the wind). It was expected that he would repeat that experience with a cinema movie with the great producer Abdellah El Messbahi but we didn’t hear any news about that. It was also scheduled that he would make a duo with an artist from the east four years ago but we saw nothing of that. I have more questions but next time. But before concluding, there is a missing song in the tape ‘Lemima’, it is the song of Sahar.
عبد الله الناجي Posted 2008-06-07
In the name of God most gracious most merciful. Salam alikoum. This is the worshipper of God from Ouazzane greeting you. I am one of the followers of the artistic career of Rachid Bryiah. Whatever is said about the Rai art, I consider that Rachid is distinct from the others, because he has an authentic Rai, his words are expressive and free of bad words. I have witnessed the beginning of this artist and I still have his first tape with the band Achwak “Yamina Beslama” (Goodbye Mina).
majid Posted 2008-08-04
I like the singer Bryiah.
fahd Posted 2008-08-27
Long live Cheb Khaled, the king of Algerian rai!
saghiro Posted 2008-09-20
Salam alaikum. Happy Ramadan. I want to talk to you about a topic, ok.
razane Posted 2008-11-16
Yes, this is a step in the right direction for Rachid, but be it Rachid or Khaled, Cheb Bilal is, quite frankly, still the king of rai. He is my pick.
nawal Posted 2008-11-20
Long live Rachid Briyah, the king of Moroccan rai!
said Posted 2008-11-21
Salam alikum. I love the Moroccan singer Rachid. I wish you success. I hope from all my heart that this singer manages to produce a new album. I am one of his fans…I hope so.
zakia Posted 2008-11-22
If they say that Rachid is a great artist, I say that Rachid is raw talent and the origin of rai. There is no other rai but Rachid's to which I listen. God bless him.
afaf Posted 2008-11-23
Salam alikum. I am a fan of the traditional rai art. I love the Moroccan singer Rachid Bryiah. I love all his songs especially “Ya Mina Beslama” (Goodbye Mina). It is a nice song. I wish him from my heart success in his career. I hope that he produces more albums. Thank you.
حكيم Posted 2008-11-23
Salam alikum. This is Hakim from the town of Berkane. I love rai, but traditional rai such as Mimoune El Oujdi, Rachid Bryiah, Bouchank Kamal El Oujdi and Cheb Khaled, of course, the most famous Arab artist. But I do not compare rai with Ghiwani song in terms of content. The Ghiwani song has expressive words. It deals with many topics. For example, Nass El Ghiwane or El Mchahb have dealt with almost all topics with my respects to all types of music. With my respect to all types of music as the proverb says, every art has its delight. We must applaud every innovator. I want to say to a brother who said that Rachid Bryiah is not an artist, you must listen to Gnaoui music. It is nice music but no one can impose on others his ideas. There are people who do not like the music which you listen to. As to me, I listen to everything nice with a priority to the Ghiwani music in terms of words, but they are not the best. I just advice young people to be more open to music, listen to many types because every artist has something which another one does not have, with my respects to all tastes. If I were to make an assessment, we only have twenty percent of artists, others are just stumbling. Salam.
mohamed berkani Posted 2008-11-24
I like the singer Rachid from the eastern region. I wish him from my heart success and fame because he deserves them. Thank you.
فاتحة Posted 2008-12-04
Salam alikum. I am very sorry. Think even one time in your life before the separator of groups comes. Today you are happy and play. Tomorrow you will weep blood and it will be of no use. When you stand between the hands of the Almighty, what will you present? An empty life and your songs. By God, you are laughing at yourselves. I hope that these words reach your heart. May God guide you and grant you guidance. Amen, amen, amen. A sister in God, from Hilinda Liden, Morocco, Oujda.
امل من طنجة Posted 2008-12-23
The most beautiful, the sweetest and warmest voice is the voice of Rachid Bryiah. May God assist him.
abdessadek Posted 2009-01-16
In my opinion, Cheb Khaled is the source of music. He sings well and everyone knows of him. He always makes news with his concerts. I really love his concerts.
نسرين Posted 2009-02-02
I consider Rachid Bryiah the best rai singer. I like so much the song “Goodbye Mina” which I listen to everyday. I wish him success.
monir Posted 2009-03-07
My greeting to the prominent Moroccan artist. I love the song “Ya Mina Bislama” (Goodbye Mina).
فهد Posted 2009-04-26
I consider Cheb Khalid a real artist. But Cheb Mimoun El Oujdi is far better than him.
essaid Posted 2009-05-11
Personally, I think he is the best singer ever. He is the first singer to sing raid in Morocco. He is the prince of rai just after the king of rai, Cheb Khaled. The greatest regret of rai is SAMIR JAGOUI EL OUJDI.
bachir fares Posted 2009-05-11
Rachid Bryiah is the biggest zero when it comes to rai. He is the worst singer ever. He hits a lot of bad notes and, if you know the rules of singing, he is a fake singer. Wake up!
brahim l'algerien Posted 2009-07-01
Salam alaikoum- Personally, I say that rai is Algerian music and it shows that Algeria has given us an Algerian identity. We are not Egyptians, faced either with Charki or global styles. Rai is a magical music. It speaks without the unease of finding difficult words simply because the rai singer speaks our dialect and lives our daily life. Rai is a great piece of Algerian heritage. We need to learn the poems of the MACHIAKHA like chikh HAMADA chikh 3AYNE TADLAS and now chikh CHIGAR, God keep him, because they know how to create art. Cheb Khaled's world popularity can let everyone in the world know about Algeria. And, this is thanks to the great Wahrani musician, Hmed Wahbi, the author of "Bakhta Wahran". The same goes for Blawi Al Hawari, one of the greatest singers of old rai and the author of "Albabour bia daq' alpour". Rai, just like gnaoui, is an African music with unbelievably beauty. That is what Algeria is: a country rich in all domains - music, cuisine, tourism, history. Algeria deserves to be known the world over as the pearl of the Maghreb, not as a country of terror. The Algerians have always demonstrated an identity specific to Algeria.
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