ORAN, Algeria (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting would-be Olympic break-dancers Saturday and visited an Algerian record store celebrated by a famous DJ, a feel-good interlude during a trip to Algeria dominated by delicate diplomacy.
Both stops were seen as part of Macron relying on young people to pitch Franco-Algerian relations forward after decades of tensions over colonial-era wrongs and related disputes since Algeria’s hard-won independence in 1962.
The French leader visited Disco Maghreb, an iconic record store In the western Algerian city of Oran and a recording label for artists who perform traditional Rai music. Franco-Algerian artist DJ Snake has helped bring attention to Disco Maghreb and Rai rhythms.
Macron is also viewing a performance by Algerian break-dancers who hope to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where breakdancing is making its debut as an Olympic sport.
Macron is expected to wrap up his…
