Editing Zebda (section)

==History==
Zebda was first formed in 1985 when Magyd Cherfi, a [[Community organizing|community organizer]] at the time, organized a small group of his musician friends to shoot a video for a community organization for which he was working.<ref name="RFI">{{cite web|url=http://www.rfimusique.com/siteen/biographie/biographie_6150.asp |work=[[Radio France Internationale]] |title=Zebda |date=September 2005 |access-date=29 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202143800/http://www.rfimusique.com/siteen/biographie/biographie_6150.asp |archive-date=2 December 2008 }}</ref> More members joined the group later—several of the members met one another through involvement in community projects geared towards supporting arts and music involvement among Toulouse youth.<ref name="JE4">{{cite journal | url=http://www.acme-journal.org/vol7/JEr.pdf | journal=Acme Journal | last=Ervine | first=Jonathan | volume=7 | title=Citizenship and Belonging in Suburban France: The Music of ''Zebda'' | access-date=29 October 2008 | issue=2}} Page 4.</ref> The group began performing together regularly in 1988.<ref name="RFI"/> The band gained widespread recognition when they performed at the [[Printemps de Bourges]] music festival in 1990 and then performed on an international tour which included venues in Great Britain, [[Italy]] and [[France]].<ref name="RFI"/>

The group released its first album, ''[[L'arène des rumeurs]]'', in 1992, under the label of [[Barclay Records]].<ref name="RFI"/> As the band toured and performed, the members continued to be active in community work, and Zebda became known for its politicized lyrics. Its 1995 album, ''[[Le bruit et l'odeur (album)|Le bruit et l'odeur]]'' ("The Noise and the Smell") took its name from a gaffe made by then-president [[Jacques Chirac]] in reference to the conditions in the French ''banlieues'', many of which have large immigrant populations.<ref name="JE3">{{cite journal | url=http://www.acme-journal.org/vol7/JEr.pdf | journal=Acme Journal | last=Ervine | first=Jonathan | volume=7 | title=Citizenship and Belonging in Suburban France: The Music of ''Zebda'' | access-date=29 October 2008 | issue=2}} Page 3.</ref> The record itself had a strong critical and commercial reception and has been said to have "cause[d] a major stir" in France.<ref name="RFI"/>

In 2003, Zebda released its only live album, ''[[La Tawa (album)|La Tawa]]'', after which the band split up.<ref name="RFI"/><ref name="JE4"/>

The group reformed in 2011 and toured France. A new album, ''Second tour'', was released in January 2012.<ref>[https://www.humanite.fr/culture/zebda%E2%80%89-nous-nous-sommes-debarrasses-de-l%E2%80%99accessoire-483934 "Zebda : 'Nous nous sommes débarrassés de l’accessoire'."], [https://www.humanite.fr/ L'humanité.fr], 18 November 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2012.</ref>

===Political involvement===

''Zebda'' (زبدة, [[DIN 31635|transliterated]] ''Zubda'' or ''Zabda''), the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] word for butter (''beurre'' in French), is a play on the word ''[[beur]]'', a [[Verlan|French slang]] word referring to French citizens of North African origin<ref name="burke">{{cite news|last=Burke|first=Rose Marie|date=11 February 2000|work=[[The Wall Street Journal Europe]]|title=Rai Music Reigns in France As 'Bears' Assert Their Roots |quote=One big 1999 hit was "Tomber la Chemise" ("Take Off Your Shirt") by the Franco-North African group Zebda (meaning butter, or beurre in French, a play on the word Beur)...|access-date=18 December 2008|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB950225549485884683?mod=googlewsj}}</ref><ref name="Crumley">{{cite web | url=http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/portrait/rhezebda.html | last=Crumley | first=Bruce | date=29 September 1999 | access-date=29 October 2008 | title=Zebda: the Sound of the New France | work=Culture Kiosque | archive-date=13 May 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513222221/http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/portrait/rhezebda.html | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="mahieux">{{cite web | url=http://www.politis.fr/Tomber-la-chemise,388.html | title=Tomber la Chemise | last=Mahieux | first=Léonore | date=19 February 2007 | access-date=18 December 2008 | work=[[Politis (France)|Politis]]|language=fr}}<br/>"''En verlan, arabe se dit beur. En arabe, beurre se dit Zebda.''"<br/>''English'': "In verlan, "beur" means North African.  In Darija, "Zebda" means butter ["beurre"]."</ref>—several of the group's members are of [[North African]] and other immigrant descent.<ref name="JE4"/><ref name="Crumley"/> As Zebda was originally formed for a community organization and many of the members met through social initiatives and activism, the band remained highly political throughout its existence.  Bruce Crumley of the Culture Kiosque has called the group "politically engaged and culturally committed" and "politically progressive."<ref name="Crumley"/> Much of the group's music and lyrics have centered on issues of political and social justice among the immigrant community and inhabitants of the ''banlieues''.<ref name="JE3"/> In fact, [[Bangor University]]'s Jonathan Ervine, in a deconstructive analysis of Zebda's music and identity, states that "Zebda's music invokes both the virtues of multiculturalism and the problems that exist within French society regarding the treatment of immigrants, [[Minority group|ethnic minorities]], and young people from France's ''banlieues''.  Difference, discrimination, and exclusion are themes that feature heavily in ''J'y suis, j'y reste'' [a song from the album ''[[Utopie d'occase]]'']."<ref name="JE7">{{cite journal | url=http://www.acme-journal.org/vol7/JEr.pdf | journal=Acme Journal | last=Ervine | first=Jonathan | volume=7 | title=Citizenship and Belonging in Suburban France: The Music of ''Zebda'' | access-date=29 October 2008 | issue=2}} Page 7.</ref> The themes of Zebda's music were known for dealing with issues of racism and intolerance.<ref name="devoir"/>

In 1997, three members of Zebda formed a group called "Tactikollectif,"<ref name="JE4"/> which was involved in [[Fundraising|fund-raising]] and advocacy for immigrant groups in the ''banlieues''.  In the [[2001 French municipal elections|2001 municipal elections]], Zebda sponsored and spearheaded a list of independent candidates, ''[[Motivé-e-s|Les Motivé-e-s]]'' ("The Motivated Ones"),<ref name="wsws">{{cite web | language=fr | url=http://www.wsws.org/francais/News/2001/mars01/15mars01_elemunfr.shtml | date=15 March 2001 | access-date=29 October 2008 | title=Les élections municipales en France | last=Dubois | first=Francis | work=World Socialist Web Site | quote=''Un exemple typique de ces groupes sont les listes «Motivé-e-s» qui ont surgi dans de nombreuses villes et qui parfois ont fait des scores relativement élevés (12 pour cent à Toulouse). La listes Motivé-e-s de Toulouse s'est cristallisée autour d'un groupe de musique (Zebda).'' English: A typical example of these groups is the ''Motivé-e-s'' list, which surged in numerous villages and at some places earned a relatively high portion of the vote (12 percent in Toulouse).  The list crystallized around a music group (Zebda).}}</ref> who ran for office on the platform that the current local government was not representative of all demographic groups in the city.  ''Les Motivé-e-s'' was also dedicated to encouraging local youth and immigrants to vote and become more involved in local political issues.<ref name="JE4"/> The group of candidates, two of whom were Zebda band members, won 12.38% of the vote in the first-round elections, and advanced to the second round, where they were narrowly defeated.<ref name="JE4"/><ref>International Viewpoint Online magazine, IV330 – April 2001, Jan Malewski.<!--Dead link: http://212.67.202.147/~ivnet05/article.php3?id_article=665 --></ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Mahieux|first=Léonore|date=19 February 2007|title=Tomber la Chemise|url=http://www.politis.fr/Tomber-la-chemise,388.html|access-date=18 December 2008|work=[[Politis (France)|Politis]]|language=fr}}<br />"''Le mouvement « Motivé(e)s », dans lequel sont engagés, de près ou de loin, tous les membres de Zebda, rafle 12,38% des suffrages au premier tour des municipales à Toulouse.''"<br />English: "The Motivé(e)s movement, in which all the members of Zebda were engaged from near or from far, won 12.38% of the votes in the first round of the municipal elections in Toulouse."</ref>

After the band's breakup in 2003, the individual members continued to be active in local politics and other activities for social advocacy.<ref name="JE4"/>