JORDAN: ALGERIAN RAI MUSIC SINGER CHEB KHALED GIVES CONCERT IN AMMAN

Record ID: 392930

  • Title: JORDAN: ALGERIAN RAI MUSIC SINGER CHEB KHALED GIVES CONCERT IN AMMAN
  • Date: 18th July 2002
  • Summary: SCU SOUND BITE (ARABIC SPEECH) CHEB KHALED SAYING: "There are persons write songs for me in Arabic and persons in French ,I am not a French poet , and I wrote seventy percent of my songs, I go to the streets and see the poor people see their life , and Rai song is community song."
  • Embargoed: 2nd August 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: AMMAN CITADEL , JORDAN.
  • Country: Jordan
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7BGYP3I1H9BAIE9GXE1RRVBO3
  • Story Text: Algerian pop and Rai music star Cheb Khaled is one of the most innovative Rai performers, blending modern elements into the traditional style. His recent concert in Amman on was sold out despite threats to sue him and calls to boycott his concert by some Islamist and leftist groups after he appeared in a Middle East peace concert with Israeli singers a few months ago.
    The most famous and popular protagonist of Rai, Cheb Khaled, started playing at an early age, becoming well-versed in the guitar, bass, accordion and harmonica. In 1974 the word Cheb (young), was added to his name Khaled and soon after he started to experiment with traditional Rai, mixing the music with western sounds and instruments. While his music became very popular it was later banned by the government of Algeria, a situation which continued till 1983.
    Because there was a campaign against Cheb Khaled by Islamists, he finally settled in France in 1990. Two years later, he enjoyed great success with his song Didi and his album Khaled and in 1996 decided that he would remove the pre-fix "Cheb"
    from his name, although that is still how he is widely known.
    He says of his mixture of French and Arabic influences.
    "There are persons write songs for me in Arabic and persons in French ,I am not a French poet , and I wrote seventy percent of my songs, I go to the streets and see the poor people see their life , and Rai song is community song."
    Through his music, Khaled is calling for peace.
    "Many of people don't want war and they want the peace , but the officials want war, and many people struggle for the peace , I want peace and my band also calling for the peace , there is in my band Italy and French and American and Arab and Moroccan, and through them and by music we call for peace."
    Khaled said.
    Cheb Khaled performed recently to a sold-out crowd of 3,000, despite threats to sue him and calls to boycott his concert.
    Khaled has been the target of Arab newspaper criticism for appearing with Israeli singer Noa in a concert in Italy two months ago. Israeli Foreign minister Shimon Peres and Mohammed Rashid, an adviser to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat attended the concert.
    The Algerian pop star challenged similar boycott calls in Lebanon, where he performed at the annual Beiteddine cultural festival in the Shouf mountains east of the Lebanese capital Beirut.
    Jordanian newspapers quoted Khaled as saying in Beirut that he sang with Noa in support of Mideast peace. He reportedly said his conscience was clear and that he would "continue to sing for peace" and was "not scared of anybody."
    Souk Ukaz is a week long summer cultural festival taking its name from a crowded marketplace located in what is now Saudi Arabia. In the pre-Islamic era, Arab poets recited their works at Souk Ukaz, between Nakhla and Tayef in the Arab Peninsula.
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