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’.
His 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.
However, Khaled Hadj Ibrahim’s journey to the top was by far a smooth ride.
Born in 1960, Khaled was singing by the age of 14. His musical influences included huge Western imports like the Beatles and James Brown – styles which would come to play a big part in his reinterpretation of Rai music later on. Khaled’s first experiences of live performance were with his band, Cinq Étoiles and together they played nightclubs and weddings around his hometown.
By the 1980s, Khaled’s career hit a pivotal point, when his path crossed with the talented Rai producer, Rachid Baba Ahmed. Together, they sought to reinvent and modernise the genre, through their use of Western instruments and sound engineering. Use of drum machines, synths, and guitars all helped push the genre to a fresh audience and gave Khaled a global appeal.
Despite the duo’s revolutionary approach to Rai, the powers that be sought to censor their music, regarding the sound as subversive and corrosive to the regime. Ultimately, Khaled had to flee to France in ’86 to escape the political and social turmoil that was plaguing Algeria. Artists involved in the new wave of Rai music were being threatened and even murdered. Khaled’s producer, Rachid Baba Ahmed was sadly one of these victims.
Proceeding Cheb’s flight to Paris, he went on to perform be the closing set at the 1-2-3 Soleils concert. At the time, this was the largest Algerian show France had ever seen.
With a stellar career, garnering ten diamond, platinum, and gold LPs, Cheb Khaled is a huge African star and a revolutionary character for the state of Raj music today. Cheb’s fascinating life has been recognised in the 1998 biopic – Khaled: Derrière le sourire.