Khaled (musician)

Khaled Hadj Ibrahim (Arabic: خالد حاج ابراهيم‎, born 29 February 1960), better known as Khaled, is a raï singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Sidi-El-Houari in Oran Province of Algeria. He began recording in his early teens under the name Cheb Khaled (Arabic for "Young man Khaled") and has become the most internationally famous Algerian singer in the Arab World and across many continents. His popularity has earned him the unofficial title "King of Raï". His most famous songs are "Aïcha" and "Didi".

International audience

In 1992 (see 1992 in music), after dropping "Cheb" from his name, he released his self titled album Khaled, which established his reputation as a superstar in France and among maghrebian emigrants around the world and sold over a million copies in Europe alone, an estimated 7 million worldwide, and he scored an even bigger hit with his love song Aicha in 1996. His audience has continued to expand throughout the 1990s, and he has collaborated with several hip hop artists. Khaled had achieved superstar status in France, his homeland Algeria and the Arab world. His signature song, Didi, became extremely popular in the Arabic-speaking countries and also in several other countries, including India and Pakistan. The song was used also used in a Bollywood film titled Shreeman Aashiq. He also performed the song "Didi" at the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World cup. Khaled and Don Was appeared on the "The Tonight Show" on February 4, 1993.^[1] However, his popularity in the US, the UK and other countries has been limited to a small but devoted cult following. In the 1997 film The Fifth Element his song Alech Taadi was used in the car chase with Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich. His next album N'ssi N'ssi further strengthened his position. Film-maker Bertrand Blier used it as the soundtrack for his film "Un, deux, trois… Soleil".and sold 2 million copies. Three years would pass before the release of his next album "Sahra". During this time Khaled received the 1994 Cesar Award for the best film soundtrack, the 'Victoire de la Musique' for the 1995 artist of the year, and co-organised a huge night at the Zenith (the Paris concert hall) for peace and freedom of expression in Algeria .

In 1999, he was joined by Rachid Taha and Faudel in a concert at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy for a concert known as 1,2,3 Soleils which was subsequently released as a live album and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.Khaled became very popular in France, Canada, Belgium, Holland, Japan, England, the Middle East, India, Germany, Spain, Italy, Pakistan and Brazil.

On 12 July 2008, Khaled appeared at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall to take part in the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, part of the "Liverpool: European Capital of Culture 2008" programme. Khaled has sold over 46 million albums worldwide. His legacy includes 10 diamond, platinum, and gold albums, as well as the highest-selling Arab album in history.

In the summer 2009, Khaled played at the Jazz festival of Montreal. In 2010 he performed Didi at the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

FAO Ambassador

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO was founded on October 16, 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The FAO Goodwill Ambassadors Programme was initiated in 1999. On 16 October 2003, Khaled was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Discography

This discography does not include a number of albums released on cassette in Algeria early in his career, and several bootleg/unofficial albums.

Studio albums

• 1985 Hada Raykoum
• 1988 Fuir, Mais Où?
• 1988 Kutché - with Safy Boutella
• 1992 Khaled
• 1993 N'ssi N'ssi
• 1996 Sahra
• 1999 Kenza
• 2004 Ya-Rayi
• 2009 Liberté

Live albums

• 1998 Hafla
• 1999 1, 2, 3 Soleils - with Rachid Taha and Faudel

Collections

• 1991 Le Meilleur de Cheb Khaled
• 1992 Le Meilleur de Cheb Khaled 2
• 2005 Forever King
• 2005 Spirit of Rai
• 2005 Les Annees Rai
• 2006 Salou Ala Nabi
• 2006 Maghreb Soul - Cheb Khaled Story 1986-1990
• 2006 Anajit Anajit
• 2007 Best Of Khaled
• 2009 Khaled: Rebel of Raï - The Early Years

Singles

From Kutché (1988):

• "Chebba & Baroud" (1988)

From Khaled (1992):

• "Didi" (1992)
• "Ne m'en voulez pas" (1992)
• "Di Di" (1997)

From N'ssi N'ssi (1993):

• "Serbi Serbi" (1993)
• "Chebba" (1993)
• "N'ssi N'ssi" (1994)
• "Bakhta" (1995)

From Sahra (1996):

• "Aïcha" (1996)
• "Le jour viendra" (1997)
• "Ouelli El Darek" (1997)
• "Lillah" (1997)

From Kenza (1999):

• "C'est la nuit" (1999)
• "El Harba Wine" (2000)

From Ya-Rayi (2004):

• "Ya-Rayi" (2004)
• "Zine Zina" (2004)

Not released in an album:

• La terre a tremblé (2003)

From Indigènes (Days of Glory) - Movie (2006):

• "Ya Dzayer" (2006)
• "El Babour" (2006)

Featured in

• 1990 Springtime For The World, The Blow Monkeys
  • Be Not Afraid
• 1992 Sahara Blue, Hector Zazou
  • Amdyaz
• 1995 Concert Pour La Tolerance, Jean Michel Jarre
  • Revolution, Revolutions
  • ElDorado (UNESCO official anthem)
• 1995 Duos Taratata, Various Artists
  • Didi with Johnny Clegg
• 1995 Going Global Series Voila, Various Artists
  • Kebou
  • N'ssi N'ssi
  • Chebba
• 1995 Melon: Remixes for Propaganda, U2
  • Numb (Gimme Some More Dignity mix)
• 1997 Live à Bercy, Mylène Farmer
  • La poupée qui fait non
• 1997 Emilie Jolie, Various Artists
  • Chanson du herisson
• 1997 Sol En Si (Solidarité Enfants Sida), Various Artists
  • Mâardi
• 1998 1 Douar, Alan Stivell
  • Ensemble (Understand)
  • Crimes
• 1998 Konfusion, Ketama
  • Oasis de los Dioses
• 1999 L'palais de justice, Freeman
  • Bladi
• 1999 Ida y Vuelta, Tekameli
  • ¡ Oh Madre !
• 1999 Amarain, Amr Diab
  • Albey
• 2000 Balavoine Hommages ..., Various Artists
  • L'aziza
• 2000 Rapsody, Various Artists
  • Time for a Change
• 2000 XXème siècle, Les Enfoirés
  • Emmenez-moi
• 2000 Labyrinthe, Kertra
  • Le rêve de mon père
• 2001 Big Men, Raï Meets Raggae, Various Artists
  • Aich Rebel Sun
• 2002 City of Ideas (Ciudad de los Ideas), Vincente Amigo
  • Eyes of the Alhamra (Ojos de la Alhambra)
• 2002 Duets, Compay Segundo
  • Saludo A Chango
• 2004 Agir Réagir - Gad Elmaleh (Parrain), Elie Chouraqui, Amina, Youssou N'Dour, Alabina, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Sapho, Princess Erika, Sonia Lahcen, Samira Said, Lââm, Daniel Lévi, Jérôme Collet, Faudel, Idrissa Diop, Moïse N'Tumba (ex-chanteur de Tribal Jam), Christophe Heraut, Yves Lecoq et Cécile de France
• Agir Réagir
• 2004 Raï'N'B Fever, Kore & Skalp
  • Retour aux sources
• 2004 L'enfant du pays, Rim'K
  • L'enfant du pays
• 2004 Save the World, Enzo Avitabile & Bottari
  • Dance with me
• 2005 Borderless, Cameron Cartio
  • Henna
• 2006 Diana 2006, Diana Haddad
  • Mas and Louly
• 2006 À l'affiche (Best of), Les Négresses Vertes
  • Face à la mer (recorded in 1992)
• 2006 Morente sueña la Alhambra DVD, Enrique Morente
  • El Marsem
• 2007 Taxi 4, Mélissa
  • Benthi
• 2007 Plein du monde, Bratsch
  • Bilovengo
  • Erjaii ya alf leila (Mille et une nuit sans toi)
• 2007 Airport, Andy
  • Salam
• 2010 Citizens Of The World, Flying Machines, King Sunny Ade, Kailash Kher, Cheng Lin
  • Citizens Of The World

Soundtracks

• 1993 Un deux trois soleil

• 1995 Âge des possibles, L'
  • Didi

• 1995 Highway (1995)
  • Didi

• 1995 Party Girl
  • Les Ailes

• 1997 100% Arabica
  • Wahrane Wahrane
  • Cameleons (with Cheb Mami)

• 1997 The Fifth Element
  • Alech Taadi (Note: This song was featured in the film, but did not appear on the official soundtrack)

• 1999 Vila Madalena
  • El Arbi

• 2000 Origine Contrôlée
  • Wana Wana Aamel Eih
  • Dour Biha Ya Chibani

• 2002 The Truth About Charlie
  • Ragda

• 2002 The Good Thief
  • Minuit

• 2004 De l'autre côté

• 2006 Indigènes (Days of Glory)
  • Ya Dzayer (2 Versions)
  • Mort De Messaoud
  • Nostalgie
  • Sur la tombe
  • El Babour

• 2007 Taxi 4
  • Benthi (feat. Mélissa)

Filmography

• 1997 100% Arabica
• 2003 Art'n Acte Production

Biography

• 1998 Khaled: Derrière le sourire

Awards

Below is a chronological list of awards won by Khaled

• 1992 MTV Awards (did)
• 1993 Venice Film Festival 50TH - (Un, deux, trois, soleil)
• 1994 César award - best movie soundtrack
• 1995 Victoires de la Musique (Artist of the Year)
• 1997 World Music Awards (Song of the year)(Sahra Album)
• 1997 Victoires de la Musique (Song of the year) (Aicha)
• 1999 World Music Awards (1,2,3 Soleils) shared with Rachid Taha and Faudel
• 2004 Grammy jam Awards (khaled and Carlos Santana)(Love to the people)
• 2005 R3 Awards BBC Awards for World Music - (Mid East & North Africa Winner)
• 2005 Montreal International Jazz Festival (The Antonio Carlos-Jobim Award)
• 2005 ImagineNations and DC Internationals (Empowering Award, for spreading the message of peace)
• 2006 The Mediterranean Prize for Creativity
• 2009 MGM Awards ( highest-selling Arab album in history)(The legendary ) (Las Vegas)
• 2009 Big Apple Music Awards( best Arab artist selling in United States )
• 2009 NME Awards 2009 (best duet) (with) Magic System

References

External links

• Khaled's most famous site
• Khaled Official site
  • Official website on universalmusic.fr (French)
• Article on Khaled by Paul Tingen
• Khaled lyrics on Shawshara.com
• FAO Goodwill Ambassador website
• The first Khaled fans forum in English language