Cheb Khaled

Cheb Khaled, otherwise known as the “King of Raï”, is quite possibly the most famous Algerian singer on the planet. Boasting sales of over 80.5 million albums internationally, Khaled’s most recognised singles are ‘Didi’ and ‘C’est la vie’.

The 1993 hit, ‘Didi’ was massive in Europe, as well as many other continents across the globe. It topped the music charts in France, Belgium, Spain, Pakistan and India. As testament to the track’s likeability, it has featured in Bollywood and Mollywood films alike. In 2010, Cheb Khaled was given the opportunity to perform ‘Didi’ at the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony. Just two years later, Khaled’s other big track, ‘C’est La Vie’ reached a record million downloads on European and Canadian iTunes and got to No. 5 on France’s Billboard charts. The album itself sold 1m copies in the first couple of months and went on to sell almost 5m copies across the globe.

A true industry veteran, Cheb Khaled started singing at the age of 14. His musical career began with the formation of his band, Cinq Étoiles and together they played nightclubs and weddings in Khaled’s hometown. By the 80s, Khaled turned his hand to producing and started experimenting with Raï music – a genre for which he is most known today.
With a stellar career, garnering ten diamond, platinum, and gold LPs, Cheb Khaled is a huge African star and the biggest artist in most Arabic countries.