(by Cristiana Missori) (ANSAmed) - OUJDA (MOROCCO), JULY 22 - 'Ya rai, ya rai, ya rai' which in Arabic means ''opinion'' is the refrain present in all the songs which, as from this evening and until July 26, will vibrate the city of Oujda in Morocco. For five days the International Festival of Rai music will liven up the nights in the administrative centre of Oriental, the region at the border with Algeria from where these rhythms originate. It is in fact from the simple and spontaneous lyrics of the Berber shepherds - accompanied by the flute - that rai was born at the end of the XIX century and it is thanks to their migrations towards the city that these rhythms arrived in Oran. During the years, the Algerian city thus became a crossroads of not only Bedouin but also Andalusian influences, at the time when the ''cheikh'', the poet master of the Melhoun tradition (Andalusian musical genre) was giving advices and spreading his wisdom by singing poems in the local dialect. The break came in the 60s, when the modern rai replaced the traditional one, thanks to the introduction of western instruments such as the violin, the guitar and the saxophone, and with the fusion of western rhythms so far unknown, like flamenco, jazz and rock music. The ''cheb'', the young took the place of the ''cheikh'' and the themes of the songs became sex, drugs and alcohol, which were severely censored by the Islamic hierarchy. Nowadays Oujda has become the protagonist of this tradition, thanks to this event, designed and organised by the Association Oujda Rai - in cooperation with the regional administration - which in this second edition of the Festival will host the performances of highly appreciated artists in Morocco, the Maghreb and the Mediterranean, such as Mohamed Rai, Rachid Beriah, the ever present Bouchnak brothers, Cheb Sehraoui, Cheb Hassan, Mohamed Lamine and the latest revelation, Said Moski. Among the female artists who will appear on the stage there will be Chebba Zehouania and Chebba Maria. The programme of the event cannot fail to include also folk songs, performed by Daoudia and Saida Charaf. International guests of the rank of Mory Kante', Alpha Blondy, David Vendetta, Booba and Reda Taliani are also expected. There will be, the Association Oujda Rai assured, not only music, but also dances and shows, because the purpose of the Festival is also to promote and enhance the cultural heritage of the region. Finally, according to a few indiscretions which in the past few days appeared on Moroccan blogs and Internet portals, but which have not been officially confirmed, this year¿s guest of honour could be the former Socialist candidate to the French presidential elections, Segolene Royal. During the previous edition, which registered 350,000 visitors, the guest of honour was the French National Education and Culture Minister at the time, Jack Lang.