Rachid Taha Biography: Date of birth: 1958 Birthplace: Oran (Algeria) Nationality: Algerian French Geographical Area: North Africa Europe Quality: Song Writer, Singer Language: French, Arab Musical Style: World Music, Raï. Rachid Taha is compensating the lack of rebellion in the French song. He continuously shaking racism, conformism and all form of exclusion with his inventive music. Rachid Taha was born in Oran (Algeria) in 1958. He moves in France in 1968 with his family that settles initially in Alsace, then in the Vosges. He discovers there the winter, the classes of transition and rough racism from the children. His father who wishes to see him succeeding, places him in a religious institution (catholic). In 1979, Rachid Taha leaves the family hearth and becomes VRP ("vendeur représentant placier" meaning salesman representing canvasser), and then he sells works of French literature. He ends up turning over in his family installed meanwhile in the suburbs of Lyon. After some odd jobs until 1981, he enters to the factory where he meets Mohammed and Moktar, a guitarist and a bass player, with whom he will start to sing. Carte de séjour (Residence Permit) It is the period of sudden rise of temperature of the public opinion concerning the immigration, and where the first generation of the children born in France of Algerian parents start to react vis-à-vis to exclusion and racist violence. The group is then a name directly related to the topicality, Carte de séjour. In 1983, comes out their true first album, "Rhoromanie", recorded by Steve Hillage, ex-member of the group Gong. Then in 1986, appears their second album, "Two And Half", from where is extracted the recovery from a song of Charles Trenet, "Soft France", reorchestrated with Arab sonorities. The song, victim of its success, hides all the other pieces of the album, which are all in Arabic. It is in 1989 that Carte de Séjour separates after a concert in Germany. Rachid Taha is found then in Los Angeles where he produces a project with Don Was, of the group "Was not Was". Project without continuation. He works in Oran on other projects. One of them will be his first album solo in 1991, "Barbès", from the name of a very "métissé" district of the French capital. Unfortunately, it came out at the time of the Golf War, the disc is the subject of a setting to the variation on behalf of the radios. Voilà, voilà 1993, Steve Hillage takes again service to produce the second album of the artist, "Rachid Taha". The texts are done more corrosive and the music connects Africa to Europe. The title "Voilà, voilà", very dancing, is noticed by the English DJ that propel it in the specialized charts. The third album solo of Rachid Taha, "Olé Olé" comes out in 1995. Recorded in London with its accomplice Steve Hillage, the disc is a mixture of techno-ethno navigate between chaâbi Algerian, mariachis Mexican or (Arab zither) and electric guitar, mixture loan of Indian echoes of melos and accordion cajun. Rachid Taha has only one word to say: "I will not change the road because of my name and I will not change the name because of my road". After fifteen years of experiment, the singer leaves double CD his best titles, " Carte blanche" into 97. The following year, he returns with an album of recoveries. "Diwan" indeed gathers chaabi compositions of Dahmane El Harrachi or Mohamed El Anka, a song of Farid El Atrache as well as a piece of the Moroccan group, Nass El Ghiwane. Produced by Steve Hillage, this album proposes a new approach of the repertory of the Eastern high-speed motorboats. Rachid Taha, extremely of its various experiments, proposes a succeeded and curiously very current disc here to us. Indeed, "Ya Rayah" titrates which was already present on "Rachid Taha" into 94, made path. This song is reproduced now on "Diwan". Scenes and experiments In 1998, Taha goes in a mega tournament. People could sees him anywhere in France, he also goes to the festivals: The Festival of Summer of Quebec, Francofolies of La Rochelle, Long Live The World in the United States, The Road of The Rock'n'Roll at Saint-Malo, etc. People could find him on a Parisian scene on September 26 at Bercy with both "raïmen" Khaled and Faudel. Together, they propose a true show entitled "1,2,3 sun" whose musical direction and the setting in scene are entrusted to Steve Hillage. People could see Taha truly unchained and very glad to be able entertain a public of almost 15.000 people. New experiment in spring 99 with two concerts in Cairo and Alexandria, Taha who already sang in the Maghreb and Lebanon, had never visited Egypt. The concert of the capital does not bring less than 2500 people. The public is magic even they doesn't understand all the songs interpreted in Arabic different from theirs. After Khaled and the raï, Rachid Taha thus opens a new breach with the chaabi. Proof is the success of the cassettes from " 1,2,3 sun ". 2000 is the year of a new release, "Made in Medina", celebrated by criticism. Scientist cook of the socio-musical influences, the voyages, of the scents from here and besides, Rachid Taha makes a success of once again mixtures tasty between rock'n'roll, electro and tradition.

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