Khaled

Born in Oran in 1960, Khaled began recording in the mid-1970s under the name Cheb Khaled, following the Algerian raï scene that was then driven by cassette circulation and popular concerts. His music is rooted in Oranian raï, which he opened to pop, soul, funk, reggae and rock influences without breaking with its Arabic melodies and direct phrasing. After initial recognition in Algeria in the 1980s, Khaled expanded his career in France, notably with Kutché in 1988, recorded with Safy Boutella, and with the album Khaled in 1992, which also marked his abandonment of the stage name Cheb Khaled in favor of simply Khaled. He went on to release N’ssi N’ssi (1993), Sahra (1996), Kenza (1999), Ya-Rayi (2004), Liberté (2009), C’est la vie (2012) and Cheb Khaled (2022). Over the decades Khaled moved between the Maghreb scene, French festivals and an international audience, while engaging in numerous occasional collaborations—from Mylène Farmer to Rachid Taha, Faudel, Magic System and Pitbull. Khaled remains associated with a popular, transnational form of raï where Arabic singing, dance rhythms and pop production intersect.