Khaled & Chaba Zahouania

The undisputed king of contemporary Algerian rai, Khaled revolutionized the form by introducing drum machines, synthesizers, and previously taboo lyrical topics that went against the grain of Islam. His highly charged onstage persona in the 1980s and '90s had much the same effect on Algeria's youth as Elvis Presley's live shows had on teenage Americans in the '50s. He moved to France in '86, becoming a star among the large immigrant North African population. His albums have explored every facet of rai, and have also incorporated funk, jazz, and reggae into the mix. Khaled had ...