4 Amazing Algerian Musicians that are not Cheb Khaled

What comes to mind when you think of Algerian music? If you’re like me, you instantly think of the raï genre. Famous raï singers include Cheb Khaled, with hits like Didi and Aicha, or Cheb Mami with the song Ana Oualach and his duet Desert Rose with Sting.

But what about other genres? Outside of raï, Algerian bands, singers and rappers have found success both inside Algeria and abroad. They win awards, garner huge followings, and rack up millions of views online.

Check out these four musicians for example.

Babylone

Founded in 2012, this Algerian trio blends catchy guitar riffs with pop and folk melodies, singing mostly in Algerian Arabic. Their first album Brya with the big hit Zina propelled them to fame in 2014. That year, Zina won “Song of the Year” at the Algerian music awards while the group also received the prize for “Algerian Band of the Year.”

The tune Djewal, a faster paced song from the same album, is equally catchy and illustrates their range. For their latest work, follow them here on Facebook.

Souad Massi

This singer songwriter of Berber descent embraces a staggering variety of musical backgrounds. She played in flamenco and hard rock groups before launching a solo career in folk rock. Her strong voice, acoustic guitar skills, and social activism often draw comparisons with Tracy Chapman and Joan Baez.

Musically, her blend of Latin sounds, North and West African rhythms, and poetic lyrics continue to garner attention worldwide.

Her first album Raoui, for example, highlights her guitar work and passionate, soaring vocals. Her fourth album, O Houria (“Freedom” or “Liberty” in English), addresses social issues like divorce, domestic violence, and exile. On El Mutakallimun (Masters of the World), her sixth album, Massi sings in Classical and Modern Standard Arabic (rather than a dialect), drawing on works of Arab poetry from the sixth century to the present day.

Soolking

This 31-year-old rapper from Staouleli on the edge of Algiers has over a billion total views on YouTube. Now based in Paris, Soolking (born Abderraouf Derradji) catapulted to fame after an online performance of his song Guerilla. While he now lives in France, Soolking has a powerful effect back in Algeria. His story — growing up in Algiers, then struggling in France as an undocumented immigrant — resonates strongly with young Arabs in France and his fellow Algerians back home.

Soolking’s song Liberte was a popular anthem during the protests that led to the resignation of President Bouteflika in 2019, with protestors chanting some of Soolking’s lyrics.

His two albums Fruit du Demon and Vintage both went platinum.

Reinette L’Oranaise

Sultana Daoud, also known as Reinette L’Oranaise, was an Algerian-Jewish singer and a master of Arab-Andalusian music.

Born in 1918 in Tiaret, south-west of Algiers, Daoud was blinded by smallpox at age two. This did not prevent her from studying music however. Her teacher and mentor, the celebrated musician Messaoud El Mediouni taught to play her several instruments and dubbed her Reinette L’Oranaise (The Little Queen of Oran).

Reinette’s career grew quickly, due to her large repertoire of folk songs and Arab-Andalusian poems, which she also sang to music. Later, exiled to Paris after Algerian independence, she struggled to find a new audience. Only in the late 1980s did she have a resurgence with the growth of world music.

Her album Mémoires came out at this time, sharing her songs and Arab-Andalusian music with a broader audience.

What Next?

If you liked these artists, buy or listen to more of their music! Their work is available for sale or streaming on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, and other platforms.

Had you heard about some of these musicians before? What other Algerian artists or songs would you recommend? Let us know what you think and what you’d like to discuss next on this blog by sending me a note or leaving a comment below.

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