Cheb Sahraoui is an Algerian Raï

Raï

Raï is a form of folk music that originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s....

 musician, the first to tour North America and the first to incorporate electronic synthesizers into his arrangements.

As a pianist, he studied music at the conservatory of music in Oran

Oran

Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...

, and launched his musical career by singing raï classics and Beatles tunes in the city’s nightclubs. His first hit, "Ana Mahlali Noum", was released in 1978.

In 1983 he married singer Fadela Zalmat, known as Chaba Fadela

Chaba Fadela

Chaba Fadela , is an Algerian Raï musician and actress.Raised in a poor neighborhood, she starred in the Algerian film Djalti at the age of 14. She launched her musical career as a singer in Boutiba S'ghir's band and began recording with producer Rachid Baba Ahmed in the late 1970s...

, and the pair began recording as a duo. Their first record together, "N'sel Fik", became an international hit, and was followed by further record successes and tours, including tours of the USA in 1990 and 1993. While in New York they recorded the album "Walli" with producer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Laswell

Bill Laswell

Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....

. They relocated from Algeria to France in 1994.

In the late 1990s, Sahraoui and Fadela separated. Sahraoui’s debut solo album, Un Homme Libre (A Free Man), was released in 2000.

Further information and main sources

• [ AMG entry]
• Further information