Narr Welcome to the first of six programmes called Med-Music on the Move, about the music of migrants from Turkey and Maghreb who now live in western Europe. Europe's economic and cultural life is shaped by centuries of migration, often from Mediterranean countries. Music has moved across borders, carried in the hearts and minds of migrants, and whenever two cultures have meet, music has benefited with new fascinating varieties.

So we decided to look at the implications of the latest migration into Europe, by Turks, Tunisians, Moroccans and Algerians who have moved to Germany, Holland, France, Italy and England since the 50's, mainly for work. We will look at the music the migrants listened to before their migration and now, what music they make and it's role in their life.

Today we shall examine the background for this migration and the music life in Maghreb and Turkey in the 1950's, starting with Andalous music from Morocco by Elhaj Mohamed Ba Jaddoub. We shall later hear how Andalous music itself is the result of migration and it's importance in Maghreb culture.

Narr Migration has always been a part of human life. People have at all times left their homes for a better life, for their own safety during war or because of coincidences. We asked Mohamed Alami from the Moroccan Information and Advice centre in London about the migration to England from Morocco:

Narr When did this migration start?

Narr Western Europe's economic progress would not have been possible without this migration, something the west often forgets. Some countries, such as France, turned to their old colonies like Algeria to get workers, others like Holland preferred to go to countries with no colonial links such as Turkey. Most migrants were village people with little formal education. They planned to live abroad for a limited time and go back with their savings to retire. This mostly failed to happen when the first generation of migrant grew older and had children in the new country. As we shall later see, this short term view causes problems today, as neither the migrants nor their new countrymen felt it necessary to learn about each other. The migrants immersed themselves in the traditions of their home countries, like the Turks in Germany who listen to Turkish Art Music, which we shall hear more about later. A modernised example of this is Bulent Ersoy, singing a composition by Haci Arif Bey from the last century.

Narr Not all migrants came to Western Europe as workers. In France there was a large Algerian community already after the 1st World War, most of them were drafted into the French army during the war.

Another group had no choice but to leave their country, the refugees and exiles. Sometimes from minorities in their mother country, persecuted by the government, like the Kurds in Turkey, or victims of terrorism as the many Algerian musicians currently fleeing the threat of FIS in Algeria.

One such exiled musician is Sivan Perwer, a Kurdish singer from Turkey who we met in 1987.

Narr Sivan Perwer lives in Germany, performing in Europe and recording cassettes of Kurdish music which were smuggled into Turkey when the Kurdish language was banned there. Sivan Perwer is one of the foremost Kurdish dengbej, or bards. A dengbej must remember hundreds of songs which preserve the Kurdish culture. We shall now hear an example of Sivan Perwer's music, Dile Min Bu Bahra Belek.

Narr We have now seen the human background for the migration to Western Europe, now we'll look at the musical background.

In Maghreb, which includes Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, the classical Andalous music was developed in Andalousia in the 9th century by a man who was himself a migrant. Zyriab escaped to Spain from the court of the caliph of Baghdad when a rival musician tried to get him killed. In Spain he composed 24 nubas which musicians improvise over for many hours. 15 of those nubas have survived, and Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia all have local variations of this, called Andalous, Hawsa and Maluf respectively. Different versions called Melhoun and Gharnati exist mainly in cities.

Maghreb also has a great variety of folk music, connected to ceremonies or comments on local events. Ranging from a night of GNAWA trance music in Morocco played by the descendants of slaves from West Africa, to terse five minute songs sung on street corners in Tunis with a single drum accompaniment.

Maghreb's popular music in the 1950's and 60's was very influenced by Egypt, the technological centre of the Arab world at the time. Mr Hachlef who runs an Arabic record company in Paris explains:

Narr Another artists called Abdelwahab is the Moroccan Abdelwahab Doukali who was influenced by Egyptian music after having lived and worked there. He was popular throughout Maghreb from the 1960's. From that period we'll hear a piece called Etelt Elkhali.

Narr From Maghreb we move to Turkish music in the 1950's and 60's. On the cross-roads between Europe, Asia and Africa, it had a wealth of influences especially during the period of the Ottoman empire. The Ottoman court music, or Art music, goes back to the 15th century, influenced by Iranian, Arabic and Turkish music and based on modes and human voice. This music could be either religious, often linked to Sufism, or secular.

A great variety of folk music existed, mainly in Anatolia where it remained less prone to European influence, although Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who wanted Turkey to be a part of Europe, tried to force it closer to western standards. However the folk music, or HALK MUZIGI as it is known in Turkey, survived and it's emotional depiction of life came with the migrants to Europe's cities, often as accompaniment to folk dances. In the folk music we find pastoral music performed on flute, festival music often performed by gypsies and the minstrel tradition of Ashiks from the Bektasi/Alevi faith.

Narr In the 50's and early 60's rock music from the west started to influence Turkish music, as Egypt had influenced Maghreb. Boris Manco and Erkin Koray were among the first Turkish rock stars, and remain popular amongst the migrants as the Turkish rapper Erci E from Germany explains.

Narr A sampler is a computerised instrument which takes an existing piece of music and allows the musician to re-use it and change the sound of it. In another programme we will hear Erci Ergun's music with the hip-hop group Cartel. Right now we shall hear Erkin Koray with Estarabim.

Narr The music of Turkey and Maghreb in the 50's and 60's was the result of migration in older times. Maghreb has had links with Turkey, the Middle East, Spain, France and Mali. Atik Benchahir, a music expert from Moroccan TV told us:

Narr One of these exchanges took place when the Jews were expelled from Spain and sought refuge in North Africa, as Mr Hachlef tells us:

Narr Raoul Journo, a Tunisian Jew who now lives in France, recorded many tapes of wedding music in Tunisia. Weddings are one of the main outlets for music in any country, providing musicians with their main income, even artists who have recorded internationally. Later we will see how weddings are still a major focal point in the communities abroad, some maybe using Raoul Journo's music.

Narr Another ethnic group in Maghreb is the Berbers, the original inhabitants of North-Africa before the Arab invasion in the 8th century. Their music is very different from Arabic music, with a strong rhythm. Mahmoud Megri, a Moroccan who early adapted western pop music, told us this about Berber music's role in Moroccan pop music:

Narr We shall end this programme with Raissa Rkya Damsirya, a Berber musician from Morocco.

Narr at 1'30": In the next programme we will look at the state of the migrants music and their communities when they first arrived in their new countries, with music from artists such as Mahmoud Megri, Selda and Saliha.

Narr This programme was supported by Med-media, A European Union Initiative and produced by Norn Productions.

Narr In this second programme of Med-Music on the move, about music of the Turkish and Maghreb migrant communities in Europe, we shall look at the music and life of migrants soon after they arrived in the new countries, in the 60's and 70's.

Narr When migrants arrived in Europe in the 60's it was assumed they would be temporary workers, and their accommodation reflected this. Living in poor conditions in suburbs designed to last for a few years they were soon filled with nostalgia and longing for their old country. Even though they may have migrated because their life was hard in the home country, their new country had different hardships. Their surroundings were indifferent or hostile, fuelled by cultural differences, and the old days seemed better. Salih who runs a Turkish record shop in London told us what he felt about music as a migrant:

Narr To hang on to their identity in a new country the first generation of migrants often tried to preserve the music as it was when they left the mother country, changes were not easily accepted. One of the most popular artists among the Tunisian community in Italy is the singer Saliah, who died many years ago. In the summer the migrants come back to Tunisia and buy cassettes by her and other artists of that generation, for marriages and reminiscing. We shall listen to one of her tapes now.

Narr Religion also becomes more important when you move to a country with different traditions as Frej, a Tunisian fisherman in Italy, explains.

Narr The dark side of nostalgia is when it turns into fundamentalism, be it religious or political. The memory of how everything was better in their home country, contrasted with their lives amongst people who may resent them, fuels this fundamentalism. This in turn makes their new country feel more suspicious of them as they become even more different and a viscous circle begins where each part feels more and more distanced from and threatened by the other. In the next programme we shall see how this influences the communities and their music.

In the early days of these migrant communities, music was rarely made locally, artists usually came over from the mother country, playing at weddings and dances or holding concerts. France's Algerian community dates back to the 1930's and Algerian artists such as ELHADJ M'HAMED ELANKA toured there. He created a new genre of folk music, the Algerian Shaabi, which was based on the Andalousian Melhoun music. Melhoun was poetry sung by musicians called Cheiks, a term of respect, in the market places of Algeria. It later formed the basis for the modern RAI music. We shall play ELANKA's song Yalli Ma Ta'Der Felhob.

Narr We heard how the Algerians in France enjoyed music in the early days. We asked Barbara John from the Berlin Senate works with Germans of foreign origin, if the Turks in Germany had any music in the beginning.

Narr Selda from Turkey is an exponent of Turku, music which mixes all of Turkey's folk music traditions with Turkish, Arabic and western instruments. She also plays the left wing protest songs of the 70's and 80's, the so called Ozgun, which means genuine. She visited Turkish communities abroad in the 1970's, here is a song from that period, Katip arzuhalim yaz yare boyle.

Narr The Maghreb and Turkey have a number of artists who regularly visit the communities abroad. Some of the more popular ones include Lem Chaheb, Nass El-Gwhain, Jil Jilala, Najat Attabou and Bouchnak from Morocco, the Chebs and Chebas with their RAI music are frequent visitors to France from Algeria and from Turkey the pop stars like Sezen Aksu, Tarkan, Mirkelam and Arabesk singers like Ibrahim Tatlises and Orhan Gencebay visit.

The Moroccan musician Mahmoud Megri toured the migrant communities abroad and appeared on TV shows aimed at these communities in Holland, Belgium and France. We asked him about his musical background:

Narr We shall now hear Mahmoud Megri and his brother Yunes with the song Yamma.

Narr Hedi Habbouba from Tunisia migrated to Italy at a hard time of his life in Tunisia, after an Italian had taught him to sing Italian songs.

Narr Have you undertaken any special musical projects in relation to the migrants?

Narr That was a song by the Tunisian musician Hedi Habbouba who has now moved back to Tunisia. But live music is no longer the only way for migrants to preserve their heritage. In the early 1970's cheap cassette players came on the market and migrants could keep in touch with the mother country more easily. Smaller communities such as the Moroccan community in London which counts 10000 people, or the more disadvantaged communities such as the Tunisians in Italy who often have no legal status, with low paid and insecure jobs resulting in an unsettled existence, rely on getting tapes from the home country. The bigger communities have their own tape shops for instance the Algerians in Paris' Berbes area, and Turks in various parts of Germany.

This music is not registered on the charts in the new country as it is sold outside the normal retail channels, and as such it is another way were they are segregated. But it can still achieve high sales figures. A Turkish hit album can sell 40000 copies in London alone and RAI cassettes can sell tens of thousands copies in France, this is compared with figures of 500 000 to a million for a major hit in the mainstream in Europe.

Narr But music is more than entertainment for a migrant, it is also a way of preserving their identity. We asked Ozant Erozkal of the Turkish-Cypriot pop group Yarenler in London if music was important in this context:

Narr In the early days the main outlet for live music was weddings and circumcision ceremonies, even famous artists with best selling cassettes would play at such occasions. A wedding musician from Turkey or Maghreb would be required to master many styles, from traditional music to modern pop music. Nowadays cassettes often replace musicians and pop concerts have taken over as the main occasion for live music, but weddings are still a major occasion as Hulya Salih from London explained.

Narr For Turks in Germany music first occurred in the dance schools, in the early 70's when the workers started bringing their families over. We shall end this programme with an example of dance music from Anatolia where most of the migrants came from with Kemal & Amhet Taskin and the song Ucayak, halay.

Narr In the next programme in this series we shall see when the migrant communities started creating music locally, the relationship between different migrant groups and their new countrymen and how music affects this.
This programme was supported by Med-media, A European Union Initiative and produced by Norn Productions.

Narr This is the third programme in the Med-Music on the Move series, about the music of migrants from Maghreb and Turkey in European countries. Today we shall see when they started creating their own music and the problems of integrating a new culture in a country and the role of music in this.

Narr In the beginning music was made by a few individuals, and did not form a general music scene amongst the migrants. Sometimes it crossed into the mainstream as a novelty, in 1960 for instance Bob Azzam a Egyptian migrant in France, had a hit with the song Mustafa which reached number 23 in the charts in England. But it was not until the late eighties that a more widespread music life emerged in the migrant communities.

One of the first Algerians to make music in France about the life of migrants was Djura, a Kabylian woman who in the 1950's grew up in the Paris suburb of Belleville, which was built specially for the migrant workers. She is also an acclaimed film maker, unveiling the plight of women in strict patriarchal society like the Kabylian as well as the problems of migrants in France since the late 70's. Here is a song called D. Sah.

Narr When the second generation migrants grew up they were very unsure of their own identity, with one foot in the culture of their parents and one in the country they grew up in. Initially they tended to reject their parents culture, playing mainly American style rock music with lyrics in Turkish or Arabic. However in the past few years they have removed the musical barriers between the old country and the new, creating new music fusing both sides rather than simply imitating the music of their parents or that of the West.

This second generation uses music to speak out about their situation and the problems they have, rather than just accepting it as their parents often did. These groups often feature musicians from different migrant communities as well as non-migrants.

One of these groups were Carte De Sejour, meaning Resident Permit, who consisted of Beurs, the second generation migrants and French musicians. In the mid 80's they recorded a song by the old French chanteur, Charles Trenet, called Douce France, meaning Beautiful France. Partly ironic, it also showed the hope they felt in the 80's for their future in the country they were born in.

Narr The singer in Carte De Sejour which we just heard, Rachid Taha, has since moved away from rock style music and developed his music using Algerian Rai.

France with it's migrant community going back to the 20's was ahead of Germany where local groups did not appear in the migrant community until the late 80's. Before that there were some jazz musicians such as Okay Temiz from these communities, but they appealed mainly to the general European jazz audience, reflecting jazz music's international musical character. The Turkish and Moroccan communities in England have not really developed any major music life, due to their size, and in Italy the situation for the Tunisians is so difficult due to their low status that apart from a couple of ad-hoc folk groups there is no local music. Holland with it's active government support for music by migrants has a number of Turkish and Moroccan groups.

Narr As well as expressing the migrant's feelings within their own community, music can open many doors and interest people from outside the migrant community, this is especially true for the second generation which blends the cultures. However, some feel that their new country is not interested in their music. We asked Ozant Erozkal, a Turkish Cypriot from London, if he thought music made others understand or accept Turkish culture?

Narr Others feel that music is the ideal medium to interact with people outside the migrant community. In Germany school children hear their Turkish classmates play Turkish pop music such as Serdar Ortac and Tarkan and they go to Turkish shops to buy them.

Abdelkrim Hannachi runs a Tunisian cultural centre in Sicily. There are not many Tunisian music groups in Italy, but are the Italians interested in Tunisian music?

Narr Hans DeLange who programmes music for deDoulen, a concert hall in Rotterdam, explains why he includes Turkish and Maghrebian music.

Narr One group in Holland which brings Turkish music to a wider audience is Leylim, formed by Ceylan Utlu and Dutch musicians who mixes Turkish folk music with jazz.

Narr The positive aspects of migrants and their music are often overshadowed by the problems they face with racism. Because they have different habits, way of living and looks, migrants often stand out and when times are hard they are an easy target to blame for problems. Cultural differences, which are most obvious with the first generation, such as having more children, choosing a low living standard to be able to send money to the home country and lack of education are all things which can be singled out and made to be a problem.

Ufuk Kitabevi from the Muttalip Savci book shop in Berlin offered his views on why Turkish migrants had not created much music of their own.

Narr Does this affect the creativity of the Turks negatively?

Narr KERIM TUZER is a member of KARAKAN, a Turkish hip-hop group in Germany. Karakan means black blood, he explained why they choose the name.

Narr In Turkey and Germany the new wave of Turkish rap groups have been accused of belonging to Bozkurt Ülkücü, which means Turkish National Socialist Party. We put this to Erci Ergun a Turkish rapper.

Narr This rejection is not only on a personal level. European countries have tried to stem the migration they initiated, as the need for manpower has vanished due to economic downturn. The European Union's "Schengen Agreement" opened the borders between the 15 EU countries, but makes it increasingly difficult for foreigners from Maghreb and Turkey to enter Europe. The future will show whether this fuels the latent xenophobia in Europe or removes it.

But even though racism and xenophobia is a force to be reckoned with, on the plus side a new and vibrant culture is emerging. We asked Unal Yuksel who runs a record company in Berlin if he thought his generation was assimilated into the German society.

Narr Music can also be a used effectively in multicultural activities between migrants and their new countrymen. In France the SOS Racism movement used music of the migrants in their campaigns and Rock Against Racism in England was a platform for musicians who took a stand against racism. One group who speaks out against racism on a personal level is the Turkish rap group Karakan from Germany, here playing a song called Evdeki Ses

Narr Despite their common interests, problems can occur between different migrant groups. We asked the TURKISH CYPRIOT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION about the situation between Turks and Kurds in London in view of the hostilities between the Turkish governments and the Kurdish guerrilla.

Narr However, more often than not migrants from different countries work together, Fadia Dimerdji from Radio Latin in Paris told us.

Narr One example of this co-operation and dialogue is Jimmy Oihid, a Beur who worked as a social worker in France. He released a record which mixes Algerian, Reggae and rock influences. Salam Alikoum is from his first album.

Narr We shall end this programme with Ibrahim Tatlises a Turkish Kurd and Turkey's most famous Arabesk singer. Arabesk music started out in the late 60's, influenced by Arabic music which Turks heard on foreign radio stations as they turned to other sources than the state controlled Turkish radio. Arabesk with it's sentimentality became the most popular music in the 1980's, not least due to the fact it was banned on Turkish radio. In German cities Arabesk became the music of choice for Turkish street gangs, but is has recently been overtaken by Turkish pop. We shall hear Ibrahim Tatlises with .....

Narr In the next programme in this series we shall look at how technology influences the migrants' music and the need for a strong culture and backing from the governments in European countries. This programme was supported by Med-media, A European Union Initiative and produced by Norn Productions.

Narr This is the fourth of six programmes called Med Music on the Move, about the music of migrants from Turkey and Maghreb living in Europe. Music needs to be based on an strong cultural background to survive and there are many elements which can influence the way a community and its music develop in a new environment, for example modern technology or support from governments, and today we will look at these influences. We will also play more music by artists from the migrant communities and the mother countries.

Narr Since the 50's the music of the mother countries of the migrants have been influenced by western pop music via local TV and radio, satellites, and video and cassette recordings. This influence was soaked up by the local music scene and mixed with their older traditions. In the early 90's Turkish pop developed from Arabesk and western pop music and other local influences. It exploded onto the Turkish music scene when it's most famous proponent, Sezen Aksu, overnight sold over two million albums. Turkish pop quickly replaced arabesk as the favourite music in Turkey and the Turkish communities abroad. From Sezen Aksu's latest album we picked Onu Alma Beni Al.

Narr London has a small Moroccan community of about 10,000. We met Abdelkader Harir who came to the UK initially to study in 1989, and since settled here. He started playing music when he was 10, first the classical Andalous music, later Oriental music in the Egyptian mold and RAI. In London he is a regular performer at weddings with his own band. We asked him what he played outside weddings:

Narr Chaabi, which means popular, is a unique Moroccan music which mixes the rhythm of the Berbers and the trance inducing gnawa music with western instruments such as guitar and synthesiser. Abdelkader hopes to one day release a record in Morocco, and he has recorded a tape which is not yet finished, but we were allowed to play a small excerpt from it.

Narr Another migrant community in London is the Turkish-Cypriots, which is different from other communities as they came to England with a view to stay here, rather than work for a few years to return. There are a number of pop groups amongst them, most of them playing Turkish pop. We met the Erozkal brothers from the group Yarenler who have recently released a cassette. We asked the leader of Yarenler, Ozant Erozkal, if there was a big market for their tape in London?

Narr Another problem for music groups in small communities are the satellite TV's.

Narr This means that smaller communities are no longer so interested in live music, be it by visiting stars or local bands, and the artists very often have to go back to the mother country, in order to reach the community via these new technologies, as they would rarely be featured on local TV and radio stations.

Narr One of the songs which Yarenler played on their cassette which was very popular with the satelitte stations was Hepsi Senin Mi by Tarkan. Tarkan is currently one of the big names in Turkish pop, he was himself a migrant in Germany before he returned back to Turkey to pursue a musical career.

Narr In the long term it is vital that the migrant communities get drawn into the everyday life of their new countries rather than always trying to link back to their old country, something which stops them from participating wholly in the day to day life in their new countries. Government support is an important part of this, we asked various Barbara John from the Berlin Senate if there was any programmes in Berlin working on this.

Narr Not every migrant community receives this sort of support. The Tunsians in Italy are the one community with the biggest problems, due to the unsettled nature of their living and the meniality of their work. Abdelkrim Hannachi from Mazzaro Del Vallo in Sicily told us about their cultural centre.

Narr Before we hear more about the Tunisian community in Italy we shall listen to a Maghrebian artist who tours these communities, Najat Atabou, also known as the Voice of Atlas.

Narr How come there are no Tunisian music bands here in Italy?

Narr We asked Hulya Salih of the TURKISH CYPRIOT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION in London if there was any government support for cultural projects there.

Narr Hans DeLange from deDoulen, a concert hall in Rotterdam funded by the local council, explains their attitude to the migrants culture.

Narr When we look at the different approaches different countries take to promoting migrants culture it seems obvious that where they do intervene the relations are better, as for instance in Holland.

The negative side of government support for cultural events is when it is seen as social services rather than a valuable cultural activity in it self. This often results in a ghettoising of the music, where the migrants are always expected to stick with their original music rather than explore different types of music, be it western classical music or jazz.

We shall now hear Yonca Evcimik, another Turkish pop star who has toured the communities in Europe. Here is a song called Kiyamet Gunu

Narr As well as government support the migrants, especially the second generation, need a good culture of their own. Unal Yuksel, a Turkish 2nd generation migrant explained how the second generation feels about arabesque music.

Narr We asked A. Hachlef of Club Du Disque Arab in Paris if young musicians turn back to their parents music?

Narr But it seems that some musicians prefer to copy the music of their new country. One example is Echab Mohamed Ettounsi, a Tunisian who lives in Italy. His first cassette is a complete imitation of Italian pop music, with arabic lyrics.

Narr Some people feel that if the migrants keep to their own culture they will not integrate properly. But one can compare them with people from Brittany in France. They are French, but they still have their own culture which is totally different from other parts of France, without this causing any problems of integration.

The second generation in many countries are now starting to develop this new culture, moving away from their parents' rigid adherence to the old habits, but refusing to become a clone of their countrymen.

One example of a good mixture between traditional and new is Sidi Seddiki, a Moroccan who lives in London. He released a record in 1990 which had clear Moroccan style, but had picked and mixed western music and incorporated this. Some musicians are against this and stick to the old and tested formula, but in the end the most exiting music is the one which dares to renew itself.

Narr So, does this mixing mean that soon everybody will be exactly the same, a mixture of everything, and xenophobia will not exist? Probably not as Hulya Salih sees it:

Narr In the next programme in this series we shall look at RAI and Rap music. This programme was supported by Med-media, A European Union Initiative and produced by Norn Productions.

Narr This is the fifth programme of six about the music of migrants from Turkey and Maghreb, living in Europe. Today we shall look at RAI from Algeria and Paris and RAP from Germany, modern and vital music forms which bring pride and confidence to the young generation of migrants, as well being a way for them to speak out about their problems. We will also explore the divide between the first generation migrants and the second generation born in the country.

Fadia Dimerdji of Radio Latin described RAI this way:

Narr RAI is the most important music style in the Maghreb community in France, and it has won world-wide acclaim via Cheb Khaled and his song Didi which became a hit from the US to India in 1993. The roots of RAI was the Melhoun music of Algeria, where musicians called Cheiks, a term of respect, sang love ballads and stories about heroes of the past. When young women, called Cheikas, a disrespectful term, sang in the red light districts of Oran in the 1920's it became known as RAI, the music of dissidence and youth. The Cheikas had daring hedonistic lyrics and this has been the hallmark of the music to this day. In the 60's and 70's young people who grew up Algeria were offered few possibilities after school, and they were slowly influenced by western images from TV and radio. They started to modernise the RAI music, influenced by western music as well as reggae, the first music style from a small developing country to be internationally well known. They used electronic synthesisers and electric guitars, and recorded onto the easily accessible medium of cassettes.

We shall hear the most famous performer of the original RAI, Cheika Remitti, followed by the first moderniser, Bellemou Messaoud, who was active from the 60's onwards with his unique trumpet sound, followed by Cheb Mami, the Prince of RAI who worked with Bellemou Messaoud. The last song is a RAI version of "All that she wants", originally an English hit in the summer of 1994.

Narr As Mr Hachlef from Club Du Disque Arab just explained, RAI is a form of fighting. In Algeria the younger generation of RAI musicians who started out in the late 70's early 80's sang about girls and alcohol, they were fed up with the hypocrisy of the older generation, they wanted change. Now they are in danger in Algeria as the FIS has killed and kidnapped several RAI musicians, and many of them fled to France, joining the Algerian community there. But Cheb Mami is cautious when we ask him about FIS and RAI.

Narr Although RAI has now become internationally well known, it's stars are still caring about the communities in France or people at home in Algeria. Often they record cassettes specially for this market in-between recording for the major international record companies.

In Germany in the late 80's Hip Hop and RAP music became popular amongst the Turkish Youth, partly because it was encouraged by social workers who wanted to re-direct their energy from street gangs into music, and in this way imitating the American origins, where local community leaders in the US would encourage dance contests as an alternative to fights. We asked Erci E of the group Cartel if is it correct to say that Rap is the style Turks prefer?

Narr Cartel has just received a triple platinum for their sales in Germany, they were at the top of the best seller lists in Turkey, and they have proved the viability of second and third generation migrants creating their own music styles. There 8 people involved in the musical part of Cartel. However, Cartel is also an umbrella organisation for youth, with more than 2000 members providing a cultural and information centre. They appeal to both Turks and Germans, about 40% of the people who buy their records are German. Here is the introduction song from their first CD.

Narr Holland's second generation migrants main interest is also dance related music. We met Jeune Turk, led by the two Korkmaz brothers.

Narr The Dutch rock foundation made a CD of Turkish bands in Holland for which Jeune Turk made 3 songs, which resulted in a contract with the international record company Sony Records. Their first single is called Do Be Di.

Narr Why is it that so many Turks use western dance music as their base?

Narr In any society there is a divide between the young and old generation. This schism is even greater in migrant societies, where the old generation very often stick to their habits and way of life from the mother country, whereas the new generation will try to fit in to the life of the new country. The very often feel torn between two cultures. Martin Greve, a German who has studied the Turks and their music in Germany. Here he talks about the level to which they have integrated and if they will create a new culture of their own.

Narr Jeune Turk from Holland explained what the situation there is:

Narr Unal Yuksel runs the record company which originally released the Cartel record. They produce records both for the Turkish and German market. We asked him about his background:

Narr Another way of rebelling against the parents is through the dance music and night life. In Germany there are a number of Turkish owned disco's, catering to the Turkish population as well as Germans and other migrants. After the emergence of Turkish pop young Turks feel more assertive, and proud to be Turkish. This was what made several people start up disco's.

In Holland they have a slightly different, non-commercial solution to this need:

Narr At these parties there is a lot of Algerian music, and our final song today comes from Cheb Khaled's old bass player, Youcef. A Beur from France, he recently released his first album from which we picked Salam.

Narr In the next and final programme we shall look at the World Music phenomenon, and it's link with the migrant communities. This programme was supported by Med-media, A European Union Initiative and produced by Norn Productions.

Narr In this sixth and last programme on music from Turkish and Maghreb communities in Europe we shall look at the World Music phenomenon. World Music is interesting as it has migrated on its own using today's technology rather than emerging out of a migrant community. World Music is NOT A SPECIFIC STYLE of music, it is a term invented by western media and record companies providing a label to cover all music which is not western pop, rock, jazz or classical music. The market for World Music is not the migrant communities, although it includes almost all the music migrants from Turkey and North Africa would listen to.

Within World Music you have two different strands, one is existing music such as Turkish Art Music or Moroccan Chaabi and the other that of new music which deliberately experiments with non western influences. The latter is made mainly for western consumption, by either western artists picking inspiration from for instance Turkey or Africa or by non-western artists who try to break into the western music scene.

One popular record in the World Music circles in 1995 was Hamid Baroudi's debut solo album. He is an Algerian living in Germany, and from his album we selected a song dedicated to an old woman he knew from Algeria, Fatima.

Narr We asked Martin Greve, a Berliner who has studied the music of Turks in Germany, if Germans who are interested in World Music feel closer to African or Brazilian music for instance, than Turkish music?

Narr One artist from Turkey who has gone for the World Music market is Kudsi Erguner who now lives in Paris. He comes from a long line of musicians who play Sufi music, classical music of the Mevlevi faith, founded by Rumi in the thirteenth century, who considered music a spiritual aid to contact with God. This piece, Ulvu, was recorded for Peter Gabriel's record label, Real World. Peter Gabriel, formerly a vocalist with Genesis and a successful rock artist, started the WOMAD foundation in 1980, whose aim is to spread the knowledge of non-western music in the west.

Narr Although the interest in non-western music in itself is praiseworthy, it leads to some strange concepts. One is the emphasis on promoting what is seen as pure cultures in the arts world in Europe, for instance an African musician is expected to use so-called traditional instruments and play certain types of music. Martin Greve explains what happens in Germany.

Narr The problem with the term World Music is that it lumps together all types of non-western music, RAI, reggae, Indian ragas, any music which is foreign to western ears is given the same label as folk music from the west. This marginalises the music and stops people from seeing the wealth of music which exists.

The positive side of the world music trend is that it does provide a way of marketing migrants' music to people who might not otherwise hear it. The Melodi Muzik record shop in London tells about their experience:

Narr Even in Italy where the Tunisian community has a difficult time and their culture is largely overlooked there are local musicians who take an interest in Tunisian music. We asked the leader of the Cultural Centre in Mazzaro Del Vallo if Tunisian music could be promoted in Italy.

Narr One Tunisian who has been successful in the World Music community abroad is Anouar Brahem, who records for the German record label ECM, which usually present Jazz music. He plays the oud, an Arab lute, and unlike most of his fellow musicians in Tunisia he has refused to play the popular music required for weddings, choosing instead to explore the music left behind in Tunisia from the various colonisers, Spain, France and Turkey etc. Here he is with a piece called Ronda from Barzahk, his first record.

Narr Most of the music we've heard today has been instrumental, but even when there are lyrics in another language this does not seem to be a problem. Mustafa Cakmakoglu, head of a Turkish Association in Berlin, explains.

Narr Most of the musicians from Turkey and Maghreb who choose to call themselves world musicians are acutely aware of the need for international unity, and the problems caused by nationalism and racism, be it in their mother countries or in the European countries with migrant communities.

One of these musicians is Mesut Ali from Turkey, he has lived in Germany since 1976. He has played with the Turkish percussionist Okay Temiz all over Europe. We asked if he considered himself a jazz musician?

Narr Why didn't you come to Turkey to give concerts all these years?

Narr Mesut Ali is releasing a record with his band Oriental Connection soon. But today we shall play a band from Denmark, which consist of a Turk, a Kurd, a Dane and an Egyptian. They call themselves Oriental Mood, and from their first CD we will listen to Caravan.

Narr One of the reasons why World Music became so popular in the west in the 1980's was that Western popular music had dried up, and it needed new input. So just like the migrants from Turkey and Maghreb and helped Europe to build their economies, music from the same countries helped western musicians create new music. Via this the music from the migrants culture also became better known in Europe. We asked A. Hachlef of Club Du Disque Arab what he thought about western rock musicians who go to Morocco for inspiration?

Narr And with musicians leading the way, maybe the rest of the population will follow and discover that the migrants and their culture can be a rich source of inspiration, not just a problem for the country to solve. The Moroccan pop musician Mahmoud Megri told this anecdote about the attitude some people have to the migrants culture:

Narr One group who have tried to understand other cultures is Dissidenten from Germany. They have travelled around the world co-operating with musicians from India to Zimbabwe. In 1985 they went to Morocco and recorded with one of the most famous Moroccan rock groups, Lem Chaheb. Lem Chaheb together with Jil Jilala and Nass El Ghiwan are the leading rock groups in Morocco. We shall hear Fata Morgana from the Sahara Elektrik album.

Narr So, we are now at the end of the final programme about migrants in Europe and their music. We have seen how important music is to the daily life of migrants, how they not only improved the economy of Europe, but the music life as well. Let's hope the music builds more bridges in the time to come, the more it moves in the world, the more exciting music we get. And that is no bad thing for the migrants to have achieved. We shall end this programme with music from Abdelli, an Algerian who uses Ukrainian and South American influences in his music. From his first record on the English world music label, Real World, we shall hear Walagh, meaning I Observe.

Narr This programme was supported by Med-media, A European Union Initiative, produced by Norn Productions