From the 1970s to the late 1990s, Lyon had an active scene of Maghrebi song, mostly by Algerian singers. They often worked in factories or as manual workers during the week, and played in music cafés, mainly in the Guillotière, and at weddings.
Maghrebi song in Lyon
From the 1970s to the late 1990s, Lyon had an active scene of Maghrebi song, mostly by Algerian singers. They often worked in factories or as manual workers during the week, and played in music cafés, mainly in the Guillotière, and at weddings.
Local labels around the place du Pont recorded hundreds of cassettes of this music, among them the labels Merabet and Bouarfa. Its styles included raï, staifi and chaoui.
Many singers took stage names from Algerian home towns, such as Batna, Maghnia and Annaba. Singers of this scene include Omar El Maghrebi and Zaïdi El Batni.
The Centre des Musiques Traditionnelles Rhône-Alpes (CMTRA) collected more than 200 of these cassettes. In 2014 the label Frémeaux et Associés published "Maghreb Lyon", an anthology of 3 CDs covering 1972 to 1998.
Associations
Awal Grand Lyon is a French and Berber cultural association in Lyon. It works to make Berber culture visible in Lyon as part of French culture, with language classes, a choir, a library, conferences and festivals.
Coup de Soleil en Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is a French and Maghrebi cultural association active in Lyon and its region. It organises film screenings, meetings with authors, talks and a gala of Maghrebi cultures with chaâbi and Amazigh music.
Footballers
The footballer Karim Benzema was born in Lyon in 1987 to parents of Algerian origin. He grew up in Bron, started at the club Bron Terraillon and trained at the Olympique Lyonnais academy.
Houssem Aouar was born in Lyon to a family of Algerian origin and trained at the Olympique Lyonnais academy. He first played for the Algeria national team in 2023.
Nabil Fekir, of Algerian origin, played youth football at FC Vaulx-en-Velin and then at Olympique Lyonnais.
The Guillotière today
The Guillotière and Moncey area around the place Gabriel-Péri, in the 3rd and 7th arrondissements, is known for its Algerian and Maghrebi shops and restaurants.
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