![]() Hasni's first significant performance as a singer occurred when he attended a local wedding party, where the group led by the famous Naoui brothers was playing. Impressed by his voice, they invited him to perform on stage at a well-known cabaret, La Guinguette. The second major launching point in Hasni's career came shortly afterwards when a producer asked him to record with Raï performer Chaba Zahouania.ĭuring the summer of 1987 the pair recorded a provocative song by Algerian standards, "Beraka" ("The Shack"), gaining them much attention. ![]() The subjects of his songs were controversial and made the song popular with Algerian youth, who contributed to the song's estimated sales of one million copies. The success of "Beraka" made Hasni famous, and a controversial subject with both critics and fanatic fundamentalists already concerned over the popularity of the Raï genre. Another major hit was "El Visa" a song about migration, which sold approximately 250,000 cassettes. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. ( March 2015) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Like many other Raï artists based in Algeria, Cheb Hasni spent more time performing abroad (giving concerts everywhere from Paris, Marseilles, and Boston to Washington DC, Tunis, Casablanca, and Tokyo, to name a few cities) than at home, due to curfews and musical restrictions in Algeria at the time. Hasni's last concert in his native country was on 5 July 1993, when he performed to an audience of over 150,000 fans in Algiers at an event organised to celebrate Algerian independence. Hasni became one of the most prolific artists on the Raï scene, recording around 100 cassettes during his career. His distinctive "Raï love" style soon inspired imitators, notably Cheb Nasro, who launched his career in 1988 with the hit "Pour te faire plaisir". Hasni's fame and controversial songs led to his receiving death threats from Islamic fundamentalist extremists. His primary residence remained in Oran, even though his family lived in the safer environment of France. On 29 September 1994, he was the first raï musician to be murdered, outside his parents' home in the Gambetta district of Oran. His death came amid other violent actions against notable Maghrebi performers. The following year, on 15 February 1995, Raï producer Rachid Baba-Ahmed was assassinated in Oran.Ī few days before his death, the Kabyle Berber singer Lounès Matoub was abducted by the GIA. He was returning home from a recording session when he was shot twice by someone he thought was a fan.Legacy ĭespite the fact that Hasni died at an early age (26), he is considered as one of the best artists ever to have graced the Raï music. Affectionately known as "the Julio Iglesias of Rai," Hasni is remembered for his ultra-light voice sentimental lyrics and affinity for lush, orchestrated, arrangements. His debut album, Madenitch Net Ferkou, sold nearly a million copies in Paris and surrounding suburbs. Hasni's subsequent hits included "You Are the Healer," "You Ask for Separation," "My Suffering Was Long," and "May God Help Me." Despite his problems with the Algerian government, Hasni achieved remarkable success. A duet recorded with Cheba Zahounia, "Baraka," became a major hit in the summer of 1987. Performing at a wedding, Hasni was heard by the Naoui brothers, who hired him to ding at their cabaret, Guingette. When he had difficulty making the team, he turned to music, singing at weddings and festivals with a group, Si Kada Nui. He left school in hope of playing with Oran's soccer team. ![]() A native of the northeastern Oran village of Gambetta, Hasni initially dreamed of stardom as a soccer player. ![]() It transformed the rai scene into a protest movement." Strongly opposed by Algeria's oppressive military regime during the civil war that swept through the Middle Eastern country, Hasni's songs, which advocated open expression of love, had been previously banned by Algeria's national censorship board. According to Algerian writer Aziz Chouki, "(Hasni's) murder changed the texts. The tragic murder of vocalist Cheb Hasni (born Hasni Chakroun) by members of a national terrorist unit had a profound effect on the evolution of rai, Algeria's popular dance music. ![]()
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