Ferhat Mehenni

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Ferhat Mehenni, born on the 5th of March 1951, is a Kabyle singer and leader of the Movement for the autonomy of Kabylie, most famous in his native Algeria (Only in Kabylie).

Having graduated from the University of Algier with a degree in political science, Ferhat made his first steps into the world of music in 1973, by winning Algier's Modern Music Festival's first prize. It was soon after this success that he began an illustrious career as a protest singer. He was notably hostile against the Algerian government and to islamists; these attitudes led to him being arrested 13 times, imprisoned for three years, and tortured by government employees. After the Black Spring massacre in Kabylie that emerged after gendarmes killed a young kablye man, Mehenni established the MAK, a movement for the autonomy of Kabylie. It has been said that his direct approach to Kabylie's political and social situation was what provoked his son (Ameziane Mehenni)'s assassination in 2004.