Lwalid Mimoun Lwalid Mimoun was born in 1959 in Aït Sidel, a Rifian Village in the northern part of Morocco, in a modest family. His first contact with music was with the flute “Tamja”, which led him to discover the richness of his local culture. Concerned with the cause of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized, Mimoun, throughout his artistic journey, has managed to compile an important collection of songs in which he tackled these... 

Hindi Zahra Hardly have her lips approached the microphone than your ear is drawn in, gently but irresistibly. Just the slightest nonchalance in the hips with a filigree of swing in the delivery, a delicately veiled voice. Meet Hindi Zahra and her original gently undulating sense of melody. With a subtle, understated guitar accompaniment, a dash of gypsy guitar between the lines, and a hint of blues but with a capital B. Time stands still. Intense,... 

Akli D For as long as he can remember, Akli D. was surrounded by music in the little village in Kabylia, Algeria, where he was born. His mother, a traditional folk singer, used to sing him to sleep, and the rest of his family is very musical. He played in his first concert at the age of 13, in the school show of his native village in Kabylia. From then on, he decided never to let go of his guitar, which has become his passport, allowing him to travel... 

Mohamed Choukri Born during a drastic famine in Rif in 1935, Mohamed Choukri migrated with his parents to the cosmopolitan city of Tangiers in 1942 where he lived most of his life. Eventually, he was engaged in a variety of jobs (as a shoeblack, a smuggler, a greengrocer, a male prostitute…etc.) to supplement his tyrannical father’s weak income. In 1955, at the age of twenty, Choukri managed to procure a place at a school in the town of Larache... 

Takfarinas His name may not be familiar to Americans, but for millions of people in North Africa and Europe, his name is synonymous with “Yal music.” At a time when all the youth of Algeria were caught up in raï music, Takfarinas was forging his own sound, a sort of musical esperantos deriving from the Kabyle songs of the last century. He named it “Yal music” after the rhythmic vocalized syllable “yal…laaa... 

Meksa Loundja and Zelgoum are orphans like the curent people that don’t hear about him. Early, in 1974, with Idir, he was a famous singer. He composed music and melodies in folk song, modern folklore and universal style. He introduced the guitar, the bass, the battery and the piano. His songs were appreciated in several countries. So, he introduced The Kabylia to the world with its traditions and tales. He worked also on the favour... 

Yelas Born in the 20th century in Tarihant, “a little village perched in the mountains not far from the seaâ€?, he was from a modest background where you had to work to achieve anything, to pull through. So the little Kabyl got down to work and did very well at school. But soon, he would stray from the path that seemed mapped out for him, enrolling in the school of life where his guitar would be his most faithful mentor and... 

Idir Idir was born in 1949 at Ait Lahcene a Berber village in Haute-Kabylia. IDIR’s real name is Hamid Cheriet. This farmer’s son started studying Geology and was destined for a career in the petroleum industry before his rise to stardom. Idir has been the ambassador of the Kabyle culture, especially the Kabyle music, with only his vocals and acoustic guitar. Idir has always used his status to claim his Berber (Amazigh) identity. His first... 

Khalid Izri Band Since his early encounter with the Amazigh music, Khalid Izri has always surprised his fans with numerous impressive songs. He has a catalogue full of successful music which he has always put at the service of the Amazigh culture and traditions. His songs have touched various aspects of his own culture. He has treated different topics like those about cultural roots, identity, emigration, conditions of women, and the contradictions...