Khaled Hadj Brahim, better known to music fans as the Algerian Rai star Khaled, was born in Sidi El Houari, a suburb of Oran, on 29 February 1960. Khaled, who came from a modest background (his father earnt a meagre salary working in the garage of the local police station) developed a passion for music at an early age. His early influences were mostly Oriental - Khaled would listen to a lot of Moroccan singers - but the young boy was also a great fan of Western rock'n'roll heroes such as Elvis Presley and the French star Johnny Hallyday.

At the age of 7 Khaled vowed that he would one day follow in the footsteps of his musical idols and launch his own singing career. The only problem was that young Khaled had practically no day-to-day contact with the music world. Indeed, nobody in his immediate family was at all musically-minded, apart from his paternal uncle he used to play the accordion from time to time. Khaled decided he would make his own way in the music world and at the age of 14 he formed his first group, "Les Cinq Etoiles", and began performing at circumcision feasts and wedding parties as well as on the local cabaret scene. When his father discovered his Khaled was performing on the cabaret circuit without his permission and, what's more, skiving off his school lessons for rehearsals, he was furious and punished his son severely. All to no avail. Khaled was expelled from school shortly after his 14th birthday and found himself free to devote all his time and energy to his singing career.

Khaled's singing career soon got off to a flying start, when he recorded his first single "Trig El Lici", on a simple two-track tape recorder. Released as a single in 1974, "Trig El Lici" proved a massive hit on Algerian radio stations, attracting young Khaled an instant following of fans. Yet Khaled, who had become known locally as Cheb Khaled (the Algerian word Cheb basically means 'young', 'charming' and 'attractive'), would not earn a penny in royalties from his first hit, owing to a lack of recording contract. The young singer was forced to continue earning his living from a string of odd jobs, working as a waiter and cobbler.


The Rai Movement

Rai music would begin taking off in a major way in the late 70's, attracting an extensive following of teenage fans in Oran. Algerian youngsters immediately tuned into this new form of urban music, enjoying the controversial lyrics which urged them to enjoy alcohol, sexual liberation and ignore social mores. Khaled was soon hailed as one of the leading chebs in the Oran Rai movement. With his deep, baleful voice evoking the spirit of North African blues and his exuberant personality urging youngsters to let their hair down and party, Khaled came to symbolise the rich musical melting-pot of Rai.

Continuing to perform on Oran's thriving cabaret scene, Khaled wasted no time in modernising the traditional Rai sound. In 1976 the singer would replace the violinists in his backing group with a couple of electric guitar players. In 1982 Khaled would take his radical modernisation one step further, adding synthesizers and drum machines. Meanwhile, Khaled's lyrics remained as controversial as ever. The rising young star was soon adopted as a spokesperson for a whole generation of frustrated Algerian teenagers and his fan base would soon extend to the Algerian bourgeoisie (known locally as the "Tchi tchi"). By the age of 17 Cheb Khaled had become a national star with five cassette albums to his name.

During the early days of his career in Oran, Khaled did not really produce his best work. The singer's albums were hastily recorded in cassette form (with limited technical means to keep producers' costs down). The studio sessions were often such hastily organised affairs that Khaled ended up improvising most of his lyrics on the spot. Production vales went out of the window completely. Local Rai producers were hardly interested in artistic integrity - what counted for them was to get the maximum number of cassettes onto the market in the minimum amount of time and make a stack of money as quickly as possible. In spite of the disappointing production quality of Khaled's early work, the singer's cassette albums nevertheless sold like hotcakes and soon pirate cassettes of his work began appearing throughout Algeria. Many of these would also end up being sold under the counter in record shops in Barbes, an area of Paris which has a huge Arab immigrant population.

By the age of 20, Khaled was already beginning to dream of making it big in France. For the ambitious young Rai singer, France represented a Utopian land of freedom where teenagers could party the night away and young lovers could walk hand in hand down the street without fear of retribution. Khalad's dream of performing in France would not come true right away, however. It would take another six years before he set foot on French soil, when he was invited to appear at the prestigious Rai Festival held in Bobigny (in the Paris suburbs) in 1986. Performing on stage alongside the creme de la creme of the Rai movement, Khaled brought the house down with his deep, baleful vocals and his imposing stage persona. Impressed by Khaled's performance at the Bobigny Rai Festival, a promoter by the name of Djilali Ourak offered to become the young star's management. Khaled immediately accepted Ourak's offer and the latter would soon begin sorting out Khaled's recording career.


Khaled works with French producer Martin Meissonnier

Following his success at Bobigny, Khaled would go on to release a debut single in France. "Hada Raïkoum" (It's Your Law) was adapted from an original cassette recording and appeared in vinyl form on the now sadly defunct Horizon Music label.

After the release of this first single in France Cheb Khaled would set off on an extensive tour which included numerous dates across France and Europe. In 1988 the Rai star would return to the studio to record his debut album in France. Working with the renowned French 'world music' producer Martin Meissonnier, and the respected Algerian musician Safy Boutella, Khaled recorded an album entitled "Kutché". In spite of the fact that Khaled's French album benefited from more sophisticated production techniques than his earlier Algerian work, the album "Kutché" was only moderately successful. Rai connoisseurs considered that Khaled's radically modern approach 'denatured' the traditional genre.

Undeterred by the lukewarm reception of his first album, Khaled embarked upon another tour, playing dates in Belgium, Holland and England (where he performed in London). Meanwhile things were looking up for Khaled outside Europe too. After completing the European leg of his tour the young Rai star would go on to perform in Tokyo.

Back at home in Algeria, however, things were proving increasingly difficult for Khaled. Renowned as an exuberant bon vivant and defender of the controversial Rai movement, Khaled was under threat from the rising tide of fundamentalism sweeping through Algeria in the late 80's and he would eventually leave Algeria to settle in France. Shortly after this move Khaled was invited to represent "the Francophone music scene" at the World Summer Festival held in Central Park, New York in July 1991.


Khaled rockets to fame with "Didi"

But it was the release of the Algerian singer's second album in 1992, which would transform Cheb Khaled into a veritable international star. Following the release of the album "Khaled" music critics would dub Cheb Khaled the official King of Rai and the Algerian singer would go on to become a household name. The album "Khaled" - recorded partly in Brussels with the aid of producer Michael Brook, partly in Los Angeles with the legendary Don Was - would generate a whole string of hits for the Rai star including the best-selling "Didi". This single would not only rocket to the top of the French Top 50 (making it the first song recorded in Arabic to chart in France !), but "Didi" would also soar to the top of the hit-parade in Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. "Didi" also became a surprise hit in India, where it was covered in Hindi.

The album "Khaled" also paid tribute to the singer's roots, featuring a special track dedicated to his hometown Oran ("Wahrane"). Following the phenomenal success of the album ("Khaled" would go on to sell over 1.5 million copies worldwide), the Algerian star embarked upon another extensive international tour, hundreds of thousands of fans flocking to his concerts.

At the end of this tour Khaled (who by this point had decided to drop the prefix Cheb from his stage name) returned to the studio to begin work on a brand new album entitled "N'ssi N'ssi". Recorded with the aid of producer Don Was and the talented young French arranger Philippe Eidel, "N'ssi N'ssi" also featured a renowned group of violinists from Cairo who used to perform with the legendary Egyptian singer Om Kalthoum. The album "N'ssi N'ssi" released in 1993, would soon prove to be another major hit for Khaled. And all the more so because French director Bertrand Blier would use many of the songs from the album on the soundtrack of his film "Un, deux, trois¼soleil".

Yet, as Khaled continued his vertiginous rise to international stardom, the singer's relationship with his homeland became ever more compromised. Religious fundamentalists were by now omnipresent in Algeria and Khaled's defence of free speech and easy living would have made him a prime target if he had chosen to return to his homeland. Khaled was thus condemned to a life of exile.

Meanwhile Khaled's success in France appeared to know no bounds. In 1994 the singer would carry off a César award (the French equivalent of the Oscar) for Best Film Soundtrack of the Year. Shortly after this triumph Khaled would set off on another international tour. The singer's 1994 tour would include two memorable shows at the Zénith in Paris (on March 3rd and 4th) - which, needless to say, were sold out weeks in advance !

Later that same year Khaled would surprise friends and fans alike by announcing his forthcoming marriage to a beautiful Moroccan girl called Samira. The flamboyant Rai star, renowned for his drinking, wild partying and incessant womanising did not appear to be the ideal candidate for settling down. But on January 12 1995 Khaled tied the knot at a ceremony which was followed by celebrations that went on all night.


Khaled teams up with fellow Algerian star Idir

In February 1995 Khaled would go on to triumph at the Victoires de la Musique awards, where three thousand French music journalists and record industry professionals voted the Rai star "Francophone Artist of the Year". Khaled was certainly a deserving candidate for the award - in the few years he had been in France he had managed to register over 800 songs with the SACEM (the French Music copyright association). Khaled was extremely modest about his award, however, dedicating it to "all the young people in Algeria who continue to make important contributions to the country's musical and cultural scene."

In spite of the fact that Khaled was now definitively based in France, the singer remained a staunch defender of political freedom in his country, speaking out against the rising tide of fundamentalism. Teaming up with fellow Algerian music star Idir, Khaled would go on to set up his own association, "Algérie la vie", working to promote peace and free speech in his homeland. Khaled would also organise a huge concert dedicated to 'Peace in Algeria', performing at the Zénith in Paris on June 22 1995.


Aïcha

In the autumn of 96, Khaled turned his attention to his recording career once more, releasing a new single, in French, entitled "Aïcha". Written by the renowned French singer/songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman, "Aïcha" would go on to become an absolute smash hit in the French charts. The single was soon followed by a brilliant new album, "Sahra" (named after Khaled's baby daughter Sarah who was born just a few months before the album's release). This album, recorded in France, Los Angeles and Jamaica, innovatively fused Rai sounds with reggae and hip hop influences, featuring a host of special guest artists including Rita Marley, The I Threes and French rap stars IAM. Catapulted to the top of the charts after the success of the single "Aïcha", the album "Sahra" went on to sell 500,000 copies, while "Aïcha" earned Khaled another Victoire de la Musique award. (This time for Best Song of the Year).

Khaled followed his chart success with a series of new concerts, kicking off another international tour with three sell-out concerts at the Olympia in Paris in March 1997.

1997 also saw Khaled launch a successful acting career. The singer's natural charm and charisma made him the ideal choice for a role in Zemmouri's film about the Arab community in France. Khaled's co-star in Zemmouri's comedy "100% Arabica" was fellow Algerian Rai idol Cheb Mami.

After completing an extensive tour, Khaled took part in the Rai extravaganza "Un deux trois soleil", organised at Bercy stadium in Paris on 26 September 1998. Performing on stage with fellow Rai stars Faudel and Rachid Taha, Khaled brought the house down, sending the capacity audience of 15,000 music fans wild. As Khaled, Faudel and Taha performed a series of solos, duets and three-part versions of their hits, the crowd sang along at the top of their voices below, shouting out the lyrics to Khaled's hits "Didi" and "Aïcha". The exceptional ambience of this concert was captured on a live album of the show (which is due to be released later this year).

Khaled spent most of the summer of '99 performing on the international festival circuit. It was while appearing at the Montreal Jazz Festival that Khaled fell victim to a conman who claimed to have arranged a series of concert dates for him in Israel. This series of false dates ended up getting Khaled into hot water and the singer had to cancel several of his planned appearances (including his concert at the Cornouailles summer festival in Brittany scheduled for the end of July).

Following the election of President Bouteflika, the political situation in Algeria appeared to stabilise and Khaled considered returning to his homeland to perform a concert in Algiers in November '99. This concert never actually took place, but Khaled did return to the Algerian capital on 28 November to defend himself in a court case involving his former record company Zeid El Youm. In fact, the Rai star's first label tried to sue him for abuse of "intellectual and artistic copyright" but Khaled was acquitted at the hearing.


Kenza

Khaled rocketed back into the charts in December '99 with his new album "Kenza". (Named after his second daughter, the title means "Little Gem" in Arabic). Released three years after his previous album "Sarha", this 15-track extravaganza included a cover of the John Lennon classic "Imagine" (recorded as a duet with Israeli diva Noa) and two songs in French written by Jean-Jacques Goldman - "Derviche tourneur" and "C'est la nuit" which was chosen as the first single release from the album. Khaled also branched out in a new direction, experimenting with a mix of Rai and salsa rhythms on "Gouloulha Dji" and trying out electro dance beats on "E'dir e'sseba". This eclectic - and highly mainstream - new album was certainly a long way from Khaled's early Rai hits.

During his international tour, Khaled put in at the Heineken Festival in Sao Paolo, Brazil, in April 2000. He was met with a great success in this country, where his album, "Didi" had sold up to 200.000 copies. On August 11th of the next summer, his father died in Oran. Although Khaled could not make it for the funeral ceremony, he joined his family as soon as he could.


Home for a concert

In the beginning of November 2000, Khaled gave two concerts in Tunisia, and, on the 14th of that month, for the first time since he had emigrated to France, he went to perform in Algiers at the Harcha Stadium in the centre of the city. 10,000 fans turned out to this controversial national event. For almost three hours, Khaled offered his audience - composed of mostly teenagers from the city's better-off neighbourhoods - a medley of music, song and dance.

Khaled was due to take his Raï song and dance extravaganza to America in September 2001. But his U.S. tour with the Egyptian star Hakim and Iranian singer Andy was cancelled after the attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September. The Raï king did finally make it out to the States, however, performing an extensive American tour in February 2002, during which he played dates in a dozen cities across the country (2 - 24 February 2002).

On May 11th, Khaled was to meet again Israeli singer Noa for a concert given at the Coliseum in Rome in favor of peace in the Middle-East. One of the attendants was Shimon Peres, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

A few days later, on May 17th, Khaled was in Oran, Algeria. This comeback to his home town triggered strong feelings for the exile artist. He gave an exceptional concert that was endued with emotion. Yet more emotional still was the artist’s visit to his father’s grave—his first visit since he had not attended the funeral. What’s more, during the press conference in front of Algerian journalists, Khaled announced that he had sent Universal Music, the company that owns Barclay, a resignation letter. He accused the label of ‘being incompetent and scheming against his career.’

Newly without a label, Khaled continued performing. On June 6th, taking part in the Festival Latitudes Maghreb, he gave a show at the Zenith in Paris where he invited many artists, such as Cheb Sahraoui, whom the French know quite well, or the yet unknown Cheb Akil. In answer to the critics’ recent skepticism about his position as master of Rai, Khaled attempted to reassert his position. Yet, many found his voice less powerful and he was deemed to be tired—a condition that might have been a result of the singer’s troubles with French justice. Indeed, in the meantime, Khaled was tried twice: for abandoning a supposedly biological son of his, and for some obscure affair with his legitimate wife. In that period, the latter gave him a third daughter.

During the summer 2002, Khaled went back on the road, touring around the Arab world. Despite facing constant criticism and boycotts because of the Rome concert, Khaled performed in Jordan and at the Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon.


The Crooner from Oran

With the Raï movement beginning to lose some of its initial momentum and rumours circulating that Khaled’s voice was no longer as powerful as it once was, the singer decided it was time to make a comeback. He immediately got done to work writing new songs and fired off a series of demos to his record label Barclay, but these were all turned down. Subsequently, Khaled’s new album was scheduled for release on AZ (another subsidiary of Universal).

Khaled’s new album, "Ya-Rayi" ("My Opinion"), came out in September 2004. The majority of the eight songs on the album – which were all written and recorded in Arabic – were produced by Philippe Eidel, one of the singer’s most loyal collaborators. (Khaled openly admitted that one of his main aims on this new album was to work with people he had already had hits with in the past). Interestingly enough, apart from two pure Raï tracks, "Ya Galbi" and "El Ghira", the rest of the album returned to the roots of Arab music, harking back to the days of châabi (a genre which started out as popular street music in Algiers). The album thus had a distinctively retro feel with Khaled slipping easily into the role of a 50s-style crooner. On the song "H'Mama", he even went so far as to invite two of the Algerian music scene’s greatest living legends, Maurice El Medioni (the Jewish pianist from Algiers) and Blaoui Houari (an Algerian singing star from the 50s).

Khaled could not appear to stop himself from throwing in a touch of his habitual Raï fusion, however. This time round, he concocted a new, and highly unusual, mix of Raï and zouk, working with Antillais star Jacob Desvarieux (from the group Kassav) on the song "Zine Zina." Another prestigious guest star, the American producer Don Was (who produced Khaled’s hits "Didi" and "N'ssi n'ssi"), intervened on "Ya-Rai", the title track and first single release from the album. Failing to get a visa to join Was in the States, Khaled communicated with him via Internet and the track was recorded in cyber-space.

Meanwhile, following the success of "Aïcha" and the album "Sahra", Khaled's career continues to go from strength to strength. Hundreds of thousands of teenagers around the world are now committed Khaled fans. Indeed, the international Rai star's exuberant personality and rebellious nature appear to have transoformed him into a universal spokesperson against intolerance.
 

RFI Musique