Rai
By the 1970s, rai had become an amalgam of native and international influences. The vocal and lyrical prowess of the earlier cheikhs and cheikhas were still featured in the pop rai sound, but to these were added electronic keyboards, drum machines, and an assortment of other Western instruments, including the saxophone, trumpet, and accordion. As recordings became cheap and readily available during the cassette boom of the late 1970s the evolving pop rai sound quickly spread. Artists of this period adopted a new moniker, “Cheb” (meaning “young”), to distinguish themselves from the old-style rai performers. The popularity of the new rai rose within Algerian com- munities in France and soon spread into other Arabic-speaking countries.