"Trumpeter extraordinaire, Bellemou is one of the founders of `popraï.' His music is steeped in the tradition of urban Algeria and the great women singers of the past, yet he has also been a big influence for many of the younger group of Rai singers." -- David Muddyman, writer for Gramophone & Rough Guide to World Music

Raï! Raï! Raï!, a film by Claude Santiago, focuses on two major figures in Algerian music: Cheikha Rabia, the master of traditional raï, and Bellemou, the creator of modern raï. Close-up shots best characterize the way the concerts were filmed, disconnecting the singers from their environment and emphasizing the individual performance of each musician and dancer. A reinvented interaction between colors and shapes through a highly dynamic edit reinforces the hypnotic trance effect that the music produces.

Shot on location at a performance at the Banlieues Bleues Festival near Paris, this film is part of La Huit's Freedom Now collection. Creative music of many kinds constitutes the heart of the collection. Total freedom was given to directors, who are reputed for their loving experience of filming music.