Khaled Hadj Ibrahim ( ar, خالد حاج إبراهيم, ; born 29 February 1960), better known by his

mononym A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...

Khaled ( ar, link=no, خالد), is an Algerian raï singer, musician and songwriter born in

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

. He began recording in his early teens under the name Cheb Khaled (, Arabic for "Young" Khaled, with "Cheb" as a common title for male Raï singers). Khaled is one of the most important musicians in the history of Raï music in his native Algeria and is one the world's best-known Arab singers. To date, Khaled has sold over 80.5 million albums (10 diamond, platinum, and gold) worldwide, making him one of the bestselling Arabic-language singers in history. Among his most famous songs are " Aïcha", " Didi", "El Arbi", " Abdel Kader", " La Poupée qui fait non", "Wahran Wahran", "Bakhta", " C'est la vie", and "Alech Taadi". He holds the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for Best-selling artist of raï music.

Early life

Khaled Hadj Ibrahim was born on 29 February 1960 in

's Eckmühl neighborhood,

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Musical career

His rise to national fame was mainly due to the efforts of Lieutenant-Colonel Hosni Snoussi, director of the state-supported arts and culture Office Riadh el Feth, who took Khaled under his wing and invited him along with other rai stars to perform at the state-sponsored Festival de la Jeunesse pour la Fête Nationale in Algiers in July 1985. In the same year, he was crowned king of rai in the first official festival of rai which was staged in Oran. Khaled a la Coupole 2014 Algerie o

Hosni Snoussi and Martin Meissonnier, who met at the Festival, convinced France's Minister of Culture Jack Lang that the export of rai from Algeria to France was in the French government's interest and together they organized the first rai festival in France at Bobigny in 1986. Cheb Khaled, who had been avoiding his mandatory military service, was able to perform at Bobigny only after Colonel Snoussi intervened with the Algerian military authorities to secure him a passport. Shortly thereafter, Snoussi arranged for Cheb Khaled to record in France, with funding from the Office Riadh el Feth. The album, Kutché, released in 1988, a collaboration between Khaled and the Algerian jazz musician Safy Boutella, expanded his reputation in France, where he soon settled. In 1992, having dropped the "Cheb" from his performance name, he recorded ''Khaled'', which was produced by

Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was, is an American musician, record producer and record executive. Primarily a bass player, Was co-founded the funk-rock band Was (Not Was). In later years he produced so ...

. The album's first single Didi, which was a major hit in Europe, the Arab World, and in South and East Asia, made him an international superstar.

International impact

One of the Pioneers of world music, Rai musician Khaled has gone beyond all geo-political boundaries to become one of the world's most popular performers, mixing traditional Algerian music with western rhythms and styles such as
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...
, rock and
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
to achieve his distinctive sound and voice unlike anyone ever. Khaled has been celebrated not only for his music, but for his role as a builder of bridges between cultures. selling more than 80 millions copies around the world makes him a nationwide celebrity and unofficial ambassador for the country's Arab minority. —
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
, Rome, 2008

Khaled's signature song, the 1993 hit " Didi", became extremely popular in the Arabic-speaking countries and also in several other continents, including Europe, where it entered top charts in France, Belgium and Spain, and in Asia, including India and Pakistan. The song was also used in the

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" ...

films ''Shreeman Aashiq'', ''

Airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distan ...

'' and ''

Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

''. Khaled and producer

appeared on ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

'' on 4 February 1993. Khaled returned to the America in December 2004 for a special guest performance at the

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

Jam 2004 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. He joined a cast of celebrity artists honoring the great musical legends

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

, performing Brazilian Rhymes into Didi showing how their music crossed the world, fusing with his North African style. In 2012 Khaled's album '' C’est la vie'' sold more than one million copies in the European market, 1.8 million copies in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

and North Africa, and over 4 million copies worldwide. The album reached number 5 on SNEP, the official French Albums Chart. On 3 April 2015, Khaled was convicted for plagiarism of Didi, from ''Angui ou Selmi'', a musical composition recorded by Cheb Rabah (born Rabah Zerradine) in 1988. But on 13 May 2016, Court of Cassation removed the charges against Khaled, when a 1982 audio tape with the song was shown. This tape was recorded by Khaled and given to a producer located in Oran, 6 years before Cheb Rabah's record. In the end, Rabah had to compensate Khaled for the fees during this case.

Personal life

On the 12th of January, 1995, Khaled married 27 year old Samira Diabi. Together, they have four daughters and one son. In 1997, his wife filed a complaint against him for domestic violence, before retracting the complaint. In 1998, the biography ''Khaled: Derrière le sourire'' (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

for "Khaled: Behind the Smile") was published, which recounted his life. Khaled has an illegitimate son with whom he has no contact. Before a court appearance in 2001, he denied being the father of the child, continuing to claim that he had been "deceived". On the 7th May, 2001, Khaled was sentenced by the Nanterre criminal court to a two-month suspended prison sentence for "family desertion". His move to Luxembourg in 2008, where he's been residing ever since, has reportedly been motivated by these charges. He was awarded Moroccan citizenship in August 2013, which he didn't ask for but accepted because he felt he could not refuse.

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

Live albums

; Solo ; Collaboration

Compilation albums

* 1991: ''Le Meilleur de Cheb Khaled'' * 1994: ''Le Meilleur de Cheb Khaled 2'' * 2005: ''Forever King'' * 2005: ''Spirit of Rai'' * 2006: ''Maghreb Soul – Cheb Khaled Story 1986–1990'' * 2007: ''

Best of Khaled ''Best of Khaled'' is a greatest hits compilation album by Khaled. Track listing #"Didi" #"Wahrane" #"Aïcha" #" Abdel Kader" (1,2,3 Soleils 1, 2, 3 Soleils (1, 2, 3 Suns) is a live album performed by Algerian artists Rachid Taha, Khaled and ...

'' * 2009: ''Rebel of Raï – The Early Years''

Singles

Featured in

(charting hits only)

Appearances

Soundtracks

Filmography

* 1997 '' 100% Arabica'' * 1997 Le Centre de visionnage * 2003 ''Art'n Acte Production'' * 2004 We Are the Future

Honors

* First Arab singer to win World Music Awards (1992). * First Arab singer to hold a

for Best-selling artist of raï music (2000). * Only Arab singer to perform at Fifa World Cup ceremony (2010). * FAO goodwill ambassador. * Only Arab singer to perform at European Athletics Championships (2006). * Was named top 50 Voices in the World by NPR. * Is decorated « Chevalier des arts et des lettres » * First

Rai RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

singer to be named Cheb in 1974 which means (young man), and then all rai singers named (Cheb) or (Cheba) after Khaled. * First and only Arab singer to perform in many countries all over the world such as USA,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

(1989), Netherlands,

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

(1996),

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

(2018),

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, Brazil (2000),

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

, Switzerland,

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...

(2014), Slovienia, Eihiopia (2014), South Africa (2010),

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

(2014),

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

(1992), Greece (2006), Hungary and Luxembourg. * Only Arab singer to chart in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

, USA,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

. * First Arab singer to chart in Billboards Hot 100. * First Arab singer to chart in France Charts. * First Arab singer to chart in

European Hot 100 singles The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and '' Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...

(2009). * First and Only Arab singer to chart in a latin american country

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

for the song (El Arbi) * Only Arab Musician to win

Cesar Award Cesar, César or Cèsar may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''César'' (film), a 1936 film directed by Marcel Pagnol * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt * César Award, a French film award Places * Cesar, Portugal * Ces ...

(1994). * Only Arab (Musician) to Win

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

award (1993). * Most-singing Arab singer in

L'Olympia The Olympia (; commonly known as L'Olympia or in the English-speaking world as Olympia Hall) is a concert venue in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France, located at 28 Boulevard des Capucines, equally distancing Madeleine church and Opéra G ...

in Paris (5 times). *Sold over 80.5 million albums (10 diamond, platinum, and gold) worldwide. * Considered one of the most-selling Arab singers of all time.

Awards

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, ''

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'' , Best Original Music , , , - !scope="row", GQ Awards , 2019 , Himself , Legend Award , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=2,

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, 1997 , rowspan=2, Himself , rowspan=2, Best Male Artist of North Africa , , , - , 2012 , , , - !scope="row",

NRJ Music Awards An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisi ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, Khaled, Raï'n'B,

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, Francophone Duo/Group of the Year , , , - !scope="row",

, 1993 , ''

'' ,

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for Best Music , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=4,

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, rowspan=2, Himself , rowspan=2, Francophone Artist or Group of the Year , , , - , rowspan=2,

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, , rowspan=2, , - , " Aïcha" , Original Song of the Year , , - ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, '' C'est la vie'' , World Music Album of the Year , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=7,

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, 1997 , Himself , World's Best Selling African Artist of the Year , , , - , 2000 , Khaled,

Rachid Taha Rachid Taha ( ar, رشيد طه, Latn, ar, Rashīd Ṭāhā, ; 18 September 1958 – 12 September 2018) was an Algerian singer and activist based in France described as "sonically adventurous". His music was influenced by many different styles ...

, Faudel , World's Best Selling Arabic Act , , , - , rowspan=5, 2014 , rowspan=4, Himself , World's Best Selling Algerian Artist , , , - , World's Best Male Artist , , , - , World's Best Live Act , , , - , World's Best Entertainer , , , - , '' C'est la vie'' , World's Best Album , , * 1985: First Prize of Rai Music (KING) Oran * 1989: Best Song (chebba) in France * 1989: Top 100 Best Album in 20th Century (kutché) * 1992: Top 50 MTV America (didi) * 1992: MTV India Awards (didi) * 2004:

Jam Awards (Khaled and

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound feature ...

) ("Love to the people") * 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 * 2008: Award Dutch Virsti - German Academy of Music * 2009: NME Awards 2009 (meilleur duo) avec

* 2009: MGM Awards (highest-selling Arab album in history) (The legendary) (Las Vegas) * 2010: Big Apple Music Awards (best Arab artist selling in United States) * 2010: One of 50 Great Voices profiled by NPR * 2013: Murex D'Or 2013 – Best International Song & Best International Singer – Cheb Khaled – ("C'est La Vie") * 2013: Rabab d’or Prix d'honneur – Maroc Festival International Al Ansra de M’diq ("C'est La Vie") * 2013: Festival International de la Musique Kabyle à Tanger festival Touiza MAROC 2013 ("C'est La Vie") * 2016: XLII Universal Music Award - Vienna 2016 - for "C'est La Vie" as Best Song.

References

External links

*
Article on Khaled
by Paul Tingen *
Khaled
on Britannica
Chebkhaled Official - InstagramChebkhaled Official - YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khaled 1960 births Living people Raï musicians Folk-pop singers Musicians from Oran FAO Goodwill ambassadors Algerian expatriates in France 20th-century Algerian male singers 21st-century Algerian male singers Naturalized citizens of Morocco