Algeria's complex blend of Berber, Arab, and European cultures has set it up for a rocky ride through the 20th century. The country fought a protracted independence war against France and finally won to become a modern nation in 1962. In the 1990s, Algeria became brutally torn along moral and religious lines, with Islamic fundamentalists being thwarted in their efforts to gain political power, and then resorting to anarchic acts of violence. By then, Algeria had developed an influential modern pop music style, rai. Today, religion and music find themselves at odds with both Muslim fundamentalism and frank, youth-oriented pop music on the rise. The confrontation can reach deadly extremes. In Algeria, pop singers and producers face the real possibility of summary death sentences as punishment for openly discussing the passions of youth, romantic love, or drinking alcohol.

Contributed by: Banning Eyre