In the gender-segregated culture of Algeria, celebrations have two components-the women's and the men's. An all-woman orchestra frequently will perform for female celebrants who, away from the sight of men, remove their veils and dance; the earthy humor and erotic showmanship of the meddahatts, women musicians, delight their normally constrained sisters. A Little for My Heart° is a portrait of one such orchestra which includes two gay men whose presence is not only tolerated but shielded. Their rai songs are collected by young women (which upsets their brothers: "the devil whispers in her ear"). But though they are much in demand, the meddahatts are held in low esteem, many widowed or divorced and fallen on hard times. Moreover, for the older musicians, this way of life and livelihood is threatened by the emergence of younger, less traditional bands.