A: I try to retain the positive aspect of both cultures. It’s not something I’m new to, because, as you know, Algeria, the people of Algeria, have been very closely related to the French people, so there was this kind of occidental way of living over there. I’m just, you know, very pleased to have the qualities of both upbringings.
Q:Is that why the Paris riots last November, which centered primarily on Arabs and Africans in the suburbs, felt so dramatic, because this was not about immigrants from another country but immigrant French citizens of a different color expressing their outrage?
A: The children of people who have immigrated to France are French. But people have to understand the suffering they’ve been enduring and the injustice they’ve been enduring because of many things, mainly their color, their racial identity. They’ve been totally put aside for years and years and the people in charge of the country haven’t done much. It’s just like, you know, the black people in America and it’s probably very clear after what happened in New Orleans.
Q:What was it like for you to watch the riots unfold?
A: It reminded me of Algeria and the chaos that has already occurred over there. It brought me to the realization that I’ve been here in France for six years and I’ve had to be proactive on the matter. So I decided to get closer to some foundations, some groups, around where I live who help people in need or people who need an education.
Q:In France, would you say your music is considered part of French national culture or is it considered something separate, specifically Algerian and not French?
A: I am not viewed as a mainstream artist in France. I’m much more viewed as a — how do you say? — you know, it’s special, it’s not what you usually hear on French radio or on French television.
Q:Do you consider yourself French first or Algerian first?
A: I feel a bit more European than Arab, but I do have the Arab side in me as well. Nowadays, though, I feel quite European.
Q:Do you ever feel, especially after the riots, a burden or a responsibility to give voice to communities struggling for visibility in France?
A: I don’t feel that I really represent the people involved in the riots because I simply haven’t had the same kind of life that they’ve had, you know? But I feel responsible as an artist and as someone who people in France might listen to about the Arab situation in Europe.
Q:Back when you were living in Algeria, you listened to rock, pop, and Latin music, and played in a rock band that openly mixed contemporary styles with traditional ones. Now, living in France, your music almost seems to be the opposite — traditional music embracing contemporary styles.
