The musicians haven't played together for over 40 years, but a recent project has brought them back together. They used to play in the ancient casbah of Algiers. Algerian independence in 1962 led to the mass emigration of Jews from the city and the band splitting up.
The music has its roots in Andalucia, in Moorish Spain. It crossed borders to Algeria 500 years ago when the Jews and Muslims were expelled from Spain. Shaabi music is influenced by Arabic, Jewish, Berber and European music styles.
The diverse nature reminds us of the power of music to build bridges between communities. But what is it about music that makes it so good at crossing borders and promoting understanding between cultures in this way? Here are a few ideas from Londoners: One woman says that drumming is a really powerful kind of music and everyone can relate to it because everyone has a heart.
Another person says that music is non-verbal and through music you can communicate emotions and feelings which resonate non-verbally.
News RSS