Khaled (album)
Encyclopedia
Khaled, released in 1992, is Khaled
's self titled album, which established his reputation as a star in France
. The album was produced by Michael Brook
and Don Was
.
The album was primarily sung in Khaled's native Algerian Arabic
dialect with the exception of "Ne m'en voulez pas", which was sung in French
.
With its fast tempo and catchy tune, the song "Didi
" was not only a huge hit but also a breakthrough. "Didi" rocketed to the top of the French Top 50 making it the first song recorded in Arabic to chart in France.
The song "El Arbi" was successful in Brazil
at the end of 1990 and beginning of 2000.
and sought out American record producer
Don Was
. Upon meeting with Was, Khaled "asked (him) to incorporate American R&B—to Americanize the music," a request that Was obliged by combining Khaled's live musicians with loops and beats from his computer (a Macintosh
) and a keyboard
. The result of these sessions in the studio that combined Khaled's rai with Was' R&B, was, according to Was, "pretty wild music."
The response from his Arab fans was mixed. Many of the more conservative Arabs stopped buying his records and going to his concerts after Khaled offended them with his liberal Western-influenced words and actions in interviews and on television, not to mention with his deliberate "(selling) out to Western commercialism" through the changes in his music. However, Khaled's decision to mix his traditional style of Algerian raï
with the slick production and Western beat patterns of American R&B stood out to some of his other fans as new, cool, and revolutionary and also made him plenty of new fans. The music from the album, especially "Didi," began to garner play in important places like French nightclubs and on Hip Hip Hourah, and the album began to sell well throughout France
. The French emcee Malek Sultan of IAM
even goes so far as to call Khaled the "Public Enemy Arabe," which demonstrates the respect that the French hip-hop scene has for the first raï artist to successfully cross over into the French pop market.
Khaled (musician)
Khaled Hadj Ibrahim , better known as Khaled, is a raï singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Sidi El Houari in Oran Province of Algeria...
's self titled album, which established his reputation as a star in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The album was produced by Michael Brook
Michael Brook
Michael Brook is a Canadian guitarist, inventor, producer, and film music composer. He plays in many genres, including rock, electronica, world music, minimalism and film scores....
and Don Was
Don Was
Don Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...
.
The album was primarily sung in Khaled's native Algerian Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
dialect with the exception of "Ne m'en voulez pas", which was sung in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
With its fast tempo and catchy tune, the song "Didi
Didi (single)
"Didi" a 1992 song by Algerian artist Khaled. It was the lead single from the singer's eponymous album Khaled and was released in 1992. "Didi" peaked at number nine in the French Singles Chart and remained on the chart for 20 weeks, making it the first Arabic song to chart in France. It topped the...
" was not only a huge hit but also a breakthrough. "Didi" rocketed to the top of the French Top 50 making it the first song recorded in Arabic to chart in France.
The song "El Arbi" was successful in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
at the end of 1990 and beginning of 2000.
- In the USA, the album was released by Cohiba Records, a short-lived label of PolyGram Records. The Cohiba release booklet (1992) includes the full sung texts in Arabic, but no English translations.
- In 2005, the album was licensed to Wrasse RecordsWrasse RecordsWrasse Records is a British record label. It was started in 1998 by Ian and Jo Ashbridge. Both had been involved in the music industry prior to them starting up their own company. Its offices are based in the UK, but it distributes its CDs all around the world...
by Universal Music for the UK and the USA.
Mixed Opinions on Khaled's Westernness
To make the album Khaled, the artist signed with the French record label Barclay RecordsBarclay Records
Barclay Records is a French record label founded in the mid-1950s by Eddie Barclay under the alias, Edouard Ruault. Eddie Barclay also founded the Riviera label in the early-1950s....
and sought out American record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Don Was
Don Was
Don Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...
. Upon meeting with Was, Khaled "asked (him) to incorporate American R&B—to Americanize the music," a request that Was obliged by combining Khaled's live musicians with loops and beats from his computer (a Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
) and a keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. The result of these sessions in the studio that combined Khaled's rai with Was' R&B, was, according to Was, "pretty wild music."
The response from his Arab fans was mixed. Many of the more conservative Arabs stopped buying his records and going to his concerts after Khaled offended them with his liberal Western-influenced words and actions in interviews and on television, not to mention with his deliberate "(selling) out to Western commercialism" through the changes in his music. However, Khaled's decision to mix his traditional style of 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....
with the slick production and Western beat patterns of American R&B stood out to some of his other fans as new, cool, and revolutionary and also made him plenty of new fans. The music from the album, especially "Didi," began to garner play in important places like French nightclubs and on Hip Hip Hourah, and the album began to sell well throughout France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The French emcee Malek Sultan of IAM
IAM (band)
IAM is a French hip hop band from Marseille, created in 1989, and composed of Akhenaton , Shurik'n , Khéops , Imhotep , and Kephren . 'IAM' has several meanings, including 'Invasion Arrivée de Mars'...
even goes so far as to call Khaled the "Public Enemy Arabe," which demonstrates the respect that the French hip-hop scene has for the first raï artist to successfully cross over into the French pop market.
Track listing
- "DidiDidi (single)"Didi" a 1992 song by Algerian artist Khaled. It was the lead single from the singer's eponymous album Khaled and was released in 1992. "Didi" peaked at number nine in the French Singles Chart and remained on the chart for 20 weeks, making it the first Arabic song to chart in France. It topped the...
" – 5:02 - "El Arbi" – 3:35
- "Wahrane" – 4:27
- "Ragda" – 3:51
- "El Ghatli" – 4:07
- "Liah Liah" – 4:21
- "Mauvais Sang" – 6:13
- "Braya" – 4:46
- "Ne m'en voulez pas" – 4:57
- "Sbabi" – 4:05
- "Harai" – 3:57