Cheb Khaled

Khaled is the poster boy for the modern form of Algerian desert blues known as Raï. Certainly hes been its most successful modern exponent, the first to find success on the international stage. Born Khalidu Hajji Brahim in Oran, the traditional center of Raï, he was attracted to music from an early age, especially to Raï, which was seen at the time of the music of outcasts, drunks, and prostitutes, although he also loved James Brown and the Beatles. He taught himself to play guitar, bass, harmonica, and accordion, releasing his debut disc, Trigh Lycee, when he was just 14. Leaving home, he began on the peripatetic life of the musician, performing frequently at clubs, parties, and weddings (the only places where Raï was seen as an acceptable form of entertainment). It was in the early 80s that Cheb (meaning young) Khaleds fortunes changed, when he met up with producer Rachid Baba Ahmed, who was revolutionizing the Raï form by introducing Western electric instruments and studio techniques. Together, they changed the face of the music. Khaled was the right voice at the right time and the addition of drum machines, synthesizers, and guitars took the music to a new generation, even though much of it continued to be censored by the Algerian government, which considered the style subversive. A number of those early tracks can be found on Le Meilleur de Cheb Khaled on Blue Silver.