Al Jadid | A Review of Arab Arts and Culture

Rachid Taha, Innovative Rai Musician with a Message of Justice for Immigrants, Dies Unexpectedly

Naomi Pham

Rachid Taha, who passed away unexpectedly, proved quite unique among Rai artists, despite Cheb Khalid receiving the title of "The King of Rai Music." Perhaps no one better than Taha himself can spell out the differences in his art compared to other fellow rai performers. In an interview for Al Jadid 18 years ago, he gave somewhat of an indictment of his fellow rai musicians, stating:

Music signifies something, and the artists should express what is inside them. Many artists, instead of respecting what they created, give way to commercial temptations, killing their original intention. Rai, in the beginning, was a shepherd playing the flute! It was used as a means of expression, a way to talk about problems. Now Rai musicians are just playing what people want to hear, as opposed to what’s in their belly. In Rai music, there is no one committed enough" (Al Jadid, Vol. 7, No. 36, Summer 2001).