Khaled (musician)

Khaled is an Algerian raï musician from Oran. He was born Khaled Hadj Brahim in 1960 in Sidi-El-Houri, Algeria. He began recording in his early teens under the name Cheb Khaled (Arabic for "Young Khaled") and has become probably the most internationally famous Algerian singer. The type of music he is most closely associated with is raï (pronounced similarly to "rye"), a supremely danceable style that began in the Algerian city of Oran during the early 20th century and crossed over to wide acclaim in Europe during the 1980s.

Related Topics:
Algeria - Raï - Oran

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Khaled recorded his first single, "Trig Lycee" (Arabic for "The Road to School"), at age fourteen and soon became involved with the early-1980s changes in the raï sound, incorporating western instruments and studio techniques. Algerian Islamic fundamentalists were violently opposed to raï because of its sometimes irreverent tone and the fact that raï singers freely addressed taboo issues like romantic love, drugs, and alcohol. Fundamentalists were infuriated when the Algerian government, in the wake of a hugely popular 1985 raï festival in Oran, officially declared it to be one of the country's native music styles. In response, fundamentalists sent death threats to some raï artists and murdered at least one, Cheb Hasni. The danger forced Khaled to move to Paris in 1986 (see 1986 in music). In 1992 (see 1992 in music), after dropping "Cheb" from his name, he released his self titled album Khaled, which established his reputation as a superstar in France and among Algerian emigrants around the world.

Related Topics:
1980s - Cheb Hasni - Paris - 1986 - 1986 in music - 1992 - 1992 in music - Khaled - France

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His audience has continued to expand throughout the 1990s, and has collaborated with hip hop artists. In spite of his superstar status in France and Algeria, his popularity in the US, UK and other countries has been limited to a small but devoted cult following. But his greatest hit song Aicha seems to be known all over the world.

Related Topics:
1990s - Hip hop - US - UK

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