As part of a new generation in Arabic music, MC Rai pushes his audience to transcend bias, politics, and cultures. A native North African from southern Tunisia — a place known for poetry, African grooves, and traditional Chaabi folk music – he turned to Algerian Rai music as he developed a genre-blending style that has become his signature. He has performed with well-known Rai musician Khaled and with diverse artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, and Shakira. His songs often address political and humanitarian issues, and two (“Is’ha” and “Yamina”) were banned by the Tunisian media long before the revolution began in February of 2011. Now based in San Francisco, he takes his fusion of Chaabi, Rai, rock, and hip-hop to audiences around the world. Sponsored by IU African Studies
Saturday, Sept. 22
7 – 8:15 p.m., Indiana University – Bloomington Tent
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