This year is a special one for singer Khaled because he’s set to appear at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall as part of the UK programme to celebrate the city’s new status as European Capital of Culture 2008.
Algerian Khaled Hadj Brahim, better known as Khaled, is a raï singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Sidi-El-Houri in Oran Province of Algeria.
He began recording in his early teens under the name Cheb Khaled (Arabic for “Young Khaled”) and has become one of the most internationally famous Algerian singers. His popularity has earned him the unofficial title “King of Raï”.
In 1992, he released his self titled album Khaled, which established his reputation as a superstar in France and among maghrebian emigrants around the world. His audience has continued to expand throughout the 1990s, and he has collaborated with several hip hop artists. Khaled had achieved superstar status in France, his homeland Algeria and the Arab world. His signature song, Didi, became extremely popular in several countries, including India.
However, his popularity in the US, the UK and other countries has been limited to a small but devoted cult following.
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