Omri (; short for ) was a king of Israel, successful military campaigner and first in the line of Omride kings that included Ahab, Ahaziah and Joram.

He was "commander of the army" of king Elah when Zimri murdered Elah and made himself king. Instead, the troops at Gibbethon chose Omri as king, and he led them to Tirzah where they trapped Zimri in the royal palace. Zimri set fire to the palace and died after a reign of only seven days. ()

Although Zimri was eliminated, "half of the people" supported Tibni in opposition to Omri. () It took Omri four years to subdue Tibni and at last proclaim himself undisputed king of Israel. ( and ) For the first six years, his capital was in Tirzah, after which he built a new capital of the kingdom in Samaria, on a hill he bought from Shemer. ()

Omri became king of Israel in the 31st year of Asa, king of Judah and reigned for 12 years, 6 years of which were in Tirzah. () The biblical reference to the period of rivalry with Tibni is from the 27th year of Asa () to the 31st year. () William F. Albright has dated his reign to 876 – 869 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates of 888 BC to 880 BC for his rivalry with Tibni and 880 – 874 BC for his sole reign.

Some authors, especially Israel Finkelstein, maintain that the Book of Kings minimized Omri's accomplishments. They argue that while the biblical text acknowledges that Omri built his new capital Samaria, the text may have omitted possible widespread public construction both Omri and his son Ahab commissioned during their reigns. Finkelstein and his student Norma Franklin have identified monumental construction at Samaria, Jezreel, Megiddo and Hazor similar in design and build. Other archaeologists in Israel, including Amnon Ben-Tor, Amihai Mazar, William Dever and Lawrence Stager, reject this theory, claiming that it is contradicted by scientific understandings of strata formulation and the general development of the region, and that the theory relies overmuch on pottery seriation, a technique for dating sites using ceramic remains, which is a relative dating technique rather than an absolute technique such as carbon dating.

Omri's rule over Israel was secure enough that he could bequeath his kingdom to Ahab, thus beginning a new dynasty (sometimes called the Omrides), and his descendants not only ruled over the kingdom of Israel for the next forty years, but also briefly over Judah. He was significant enough that his name is mentioned on a stele erected by Mesha, king of Moab, who records his victory over a son of Omri—but omits the son's name. Thomas L. Thompson (''The Bible in History''), however, interprets the Mesha stele as suggesting that Omri is an eponym, or legendary founder of the kingdom rather than an historical person. Most archaeologists reject this interpretation, seeing Omri as historical. Assyrian kings frequently referred to Omri's successors as belonging to the "House of Omri" (''Bit Hu-um-ri-a'').

The Omride Dynasty

The short-lived dynasty founded by Omri constitutes a new chapter in the history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It ended almost fifty years of constant civil war over the throne. There was peace with the Kingdom of Judah to the south, and even cooperation between the two rival states, while relations with neighboring Sidon to the north were bolstered by marriages negotiated between the two royal courts. This state of peace with two powerful neighbors enabled the Kingdom of Israel to expand its influence and even political control in Transjordan, and these factors combined brought economic prosperity to the kingdom.

On the other hand, peace with Sidon also resulted in the penetration of Phoenician religious ideas into the kingdom and led to a ''kulturkampf'' between traditionalists (as personified by the prophet Elijah and his followers) and the aristocracy (as personified by Omri's son and heir Ahab and his consort Jezebel). In foreign affairs, this period paralleled the rise of the Kingdom of Aram based in Damascus, and Israel soon found itself at war in the northeast. Most threatening, however, was the ascendancy of Assyria, which was beginning to expand westward from Mesopotamia: the Battle of Qarqar (853 BC), which pitted Shalmaneser III of Assyria against a coalition of local kings, including Ahab, was the first clash between Assyria and Israel. It was the first in a series of wars that would eventually lead to the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC and the reduction of the Kingdom of Judah to an Assyrian tributary state.

Omri in archaeological sources

In archaeology, Omri appears several times over the next century or so. The Moabite Mesha stele (on display in the Louvre) makes reference to the oppression of Moab by "Omri King of Israel". Israel would later become identified in sources as the "House of Omri" (''Bit-Humria''), with the term "Israel" being used less and less as history progressed (the other defining term for "Israel" is "Samaria", beginning in the reign of Joash). The Assyrian Black Obelisk (in the British Museum credits Jehu the (son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi) as being the "son of Omri" while the Bible describes him to be "the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi" .

Archaeologically speaking, it would appear that Omri was recognized internationally as the founder of the Israelite Kingdom, though Ahab is actually the first king of Israel to appear in non-Israelite sources. The fact that theirs are the earliest attested names of Israelite kings and that the kingdom of Israel became associated with that of the former does not, however, establish that either was considered by these sources to actually be the first king of Israel.

Attitude in contemporary Israel

The Bible displays a negative attitude to King Omri, and it has been followed by later rabbinical tradition. However, Zionism was created mainly by non-religious (sometimes anti-religious) people who re-evaluated many Biblical characters (as well as characters from later Jewish history) according to the criteria of a secular national movement in need of National Heroes. As with many European national movements which served as an example to the founders of Zionism, ancient Jewish warriors in general and warrior kings in particular were often regarded positively. Omri, a successful warrior king and the founder of a strong dynasty, is a conspicuous example.

In the present-day Israeli society, "Omri" is quite a common male name, which would have been unthinkable in a traditional Jewish milieu. The same is true for the name "Nimrod", another Biblical character negatively regarded by pre-Zionist Jewish tradition. Omri Sharon, the elder son (and close political associate) of former PM Ariel Sharon seems among the most well-known among present bearers of the name. Omri Katz is an Israeli-American actor, born in Los Angeles to Israeli parents. Omri Casspi is an Israeli 6' 9" basketball small forward who was drafted in the 1st round of 2009 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.

See also

History of ancient Israel and Judah

Omrides

References

External links

Smith's Bible Dictionary: Omri

Category:9th-century BC biblical rulers Category:Kings of ancient Israel Category:Books of Kings

be:Амрый ca:Omrí de:Omri el:Αμρί es:Omrí fa:عمری fr:Omri hak:Am-li-vòng ko:오므리 he:עמרי nl:Omri ja:オムリ no:Omri av Israel pl:Omri pt:Omri ru:Омри sh:Omri fi:Omrin kuningashuone sv:Omri tr:Omri zh:暗利

position	Small Forward
name	Omri Casspi
height ft	6 | height_in 9
weight lb	225
team	Cleveland Cavaliers
nationality	Israeli
birth date	June 22, 1988
birth place	Holon, Israel
draft round	1
draft pick	23
draft year	2009
draft team	Sacramento Kings
career start	2005
teams	Maccabi Tel Aviv (2005–06)Hapoel Galil Elyon (2006–07)Maccabi Tel Aviv (2007–09)Sacramento Kings (2009–11)Cleveland Cavaliers (2011–present)
highlights	BSL Champion: 2006, 2009BSL State Cup: 2006BSL Sixth Man of the Year: 2008All BSL Team: 2009NBA All-Star Rookie Team 2010 }}

Omri Casspi () (born June 22, 1988) is an Israeli professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) tall, and plays at the small forward position.

He was drafted 23rd overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, making him the first Israeli to be selected in the first round of the draft. With his debut with the Kings in 2009, Casspi became the first Israeli to play in an NBA game. The Cavaliers traded for him in June 2011.

Early life

Casspi is Jewish, was born in Holon, Israel, and grew up in Yavne (a suburb of Tel Aviv). He is the son of Shimon and Ilana, and has an older brother, Eitan, and a younger sister, Aviv.

As a child Casspi played for Elitzur Yavne B.C. and Maccabi Rishon LeZion. When he was 13 he moved to the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth team, winning the State Youth Championship in 2005. Simultaneously he played for his high school basketball team.

Professional career

Israel

Casspi started on the Maccabi Tel Aviv cadet team. He made his professional debut at age 17 with Maccabi Tel Aviv during the 2005–06 season. He joined Hapoel Galil Elyon on-loan during the 2006–07 season, and was one of its leading players, winning the "Discovery of the Year" award in the end of the season. In April 2007 he scored 14 points for the World Select team at the Nike Hoop Summit in Memphis.

He returned to Maccabi in 2007. He became part of the team rotation for the following seasons. The team reached the Euroleague Finals in 2008 and won a state championship in 2009. Casspi received the 2008 Israeli League Sixth Man of the Year Award. In February 2009, he finished in fourth place in voting for the FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year Award for the 2008–09 season, behind Ricky Rubio, Danilo Gallinari, and Kosta Koufos.

Casspi plays for the Israel national basketball team in international competition.

NBA

In a pre-season exhibition game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 11, 2007, Casspi started the game and shot three-for-three from the floor, including a three-pointer, for eight points in 16 minutes of playing-time.

In 2008, Casspi declared himself eligible for the 2008 NBA Draft, but he withdrew before the declaration deadline after failing to receive a first-round draft guarantee from any NBA club.

Sacramento Kings

In 2009, Casspi again declared himself available for the draft. He was drafted 23rd overall by the Sacramento Kings, a team that the prior year had the worst record both in the league and in franchise history. He became the first Israeli player selected as a first round draft pick. Not since Oded Kattash agreed to a contract with the New York Knicks in 1999 had an Israeli player come so close to playing in the NBA. In July, Casspi signed a 3-year contract worth $3.5 million.

On October 28, 2009, Casspi made his NBA debut for the Kings against the Oklahoma City Thunder, scoring 15 points. On December 16, 2009, Casspi made his first NBA start. Scoring 22 points against the Washington Wizards, he tied the most points scored by any Kings player in his first start since the team moved to Sacramento in 1985.

On January 1, 2010, Casspi scored a career-high 23 points against the Los Angeles Lakers (along with 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 assists) as the Kings lost 109–108. On January 2, 2010, he grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks (along with 22 points, 1 steal, and 4 assists) as the Kings lost 99–91. On January 5, 2010, Casspi set a new career high with 24 points against the Phoenix Suns (along with 7 rebounds, 1 assist, no turnovers, and 10–19 from the field) as the Kings lost 113–109.

In 2010, Casspi was chosen to participate in the NBA All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge, as well as the NBA All-Star Weekend H–O–R–S–E Competition against Kevin Durant and Rajon Rondo.

In 2010-11, Casspi played in all 71 games for Sacramento (starting 27 of them). He averaged 8.6 points, shot .412 shooting (including .372 from three-point range), and averaged 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 24.1 minutes per game. In his 27 starts, averaged 10.7 points on .435 shooting, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 31.3 minutes per game. In his two seasons for Sacramento, he averaged 9.5 points on .431 shooting, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 24.6 minutes per game.

Cleveland Cavaliers

On June 30, 2011, Casspi and a 2012 1st round draft pick were traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward/center J.J. Hickson. The ''News-Herald'' opined that Casspi will likely start at small forward for the Cavaliers.

Statistics

European career statistics

Israeli League

2.1 20.7 20.3 25.3 18.5

Season			! GP	! MPG	! RPG	! APG	! SPG	! BPG	! PPG
>2005/2006	style="text-align:right;"	21	9.4	|	.9	.5	.1	4.2
	2006/2007		28	|	3.1	1.1	.9	.4	11.1
	2007/2008	style="text-align:right;"	27	|	4.0	1.4	.4	.3	10.4
	2008/2009	style="text-align:right;"	27	|	4.8	1.8	.4	.3	12.8
style="text-align:right;"	Career		103	|	3.6	1.3	.7	.2	10.0

:''including Playoff games''

Euroleague

.0 11.2 17.4 15.3

Season			! GP	! MPG	! RPG	! APG	! SPG	! BPG	! PPG
>2005/2006	style="text-align:right;"	3	3.0	|	.0	.0	.0	0.7
	2007/2008	style="text-align:right;"	20	|	2.1	.6	.3	.2	4.6
	2008/2009	style="text-align:right;"	16	|	3.1	.4	.8	.2	8.8
style="text-align:right;"	Career		39	|	1.7	.3	.3	.1	4.7

NBA career statistics

Regular season

25.1 27 58

Season	! Team	! GP	! GS	! MPG	! FG%	! 3P%	! FT%	! RPG	! APG	! SPG	! BPG	! PPG
style="text-align:left;"	2009–10		77	31	|	0.446	0.369	0.671	4.5	1.2	0.7	0.2	10.3
style="text-align:left;"	2010–11		71	|	24.0	0.412	0.372	0.673	4.3	1.0	0.8	0.2	8.6
style="text-align:right;"	Career		148	|	24.5	0.431	0.371	0.673	4.4	1.1	0.7	0.2	9.5

See also

List of select Jewish basketball players

References

External links

NBA.com: Omri Casspi Profile

Euroleague: Omri Casspi Profile

Maccabi Tel Aviv: Omri Casspi Profile

Basketpedya.com: Omri Casspi Profile

Casspi18.com: Official Website

Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Israeli basketball players Category:Israeli Jews Category:Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. players Category:Israeli Basketball Super League players Category:Jewish basketball players Category:Small forwards Category:Hapoel Galil Elyon players Category:Sacramento Kings draft picks Category:Israeli expatriate basketball people in the United States Category:Sacramento Kings players

de:Omri Casspi es:Omri Casspi fa:امری کاسپی fr:Omri Casspi hr:Omri Casspi it:Omri Casspi he:עומרי כספי ja:オムリ・カスピ pl:Omri Casspi ru:Касспи, Омри fi:Omri Casspi tr:Omri Casspi

name	Oum Kalthoum
years active	c. 1924–73
background	solo_singer
birth name	Umm Kulthum Ebrahim Elbeltagi
birth date	December 31, 1898 Tamay Ez-Zahayra, El Senbellawein, Dakahlia Governorate,
Died	February 03, 1975Cairo, Egypt
genre	Arabic classical music
occupation	Singer, actress
label	EMI Arabia
associated acts	FairuzAbdel Halim HafezMohammed Abdel WahabMaria Callas
website	(unofficial) }}

Umm Kulthum ( '''', ; born '''', ; see Kunya) (December 31, 1898–February 3, 1975) was an Egyptian singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Tamay ez-Zahayra village that belongs to El Senbellawein, she is known as "The Star of The East" (''kawkab el-sharq''). More than three decades after her death, she is widely regarded as the greatest female singer in Arab music history.

Various spellings of her name include Om Kalsoum, Om Koultoum, Om Kalthoum, Oumme Kalsoum and Umm Kolthoum.

Biography

Early life

Umm Kulthum was born in Tamay ez-Zahayra village in El Senbellawein, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, in Dakahlia, in the Nile Delta, near the Mediterranean Sea. Her birth date is unconfirmed as birth registration was not enforced throughout the Arab world. The Egyptian Ministry of Information seems to have given either December 31, 1898, or December 31, 1904. She was likely born some time between these two dates.

At a young age, she showed exceptional singing talent. Her father, an Imam, taught her to recite the Qur'an, and she is said to have memorized the entire book. When she was 12 years old, her father disguised her as a young boy and entered her in a small performing troupe that he directed. At the age of 16, she was noticed by Mohamed Aboul Ela, a modestly famous singer, who taught her the old classical repertoire. A few years later, she met the famous composer and oudist Zakariyya Ahmad, who invited her to come to Cairo. Although she made several visits to Cairo in the early 1920s, she waited until 1923 before permanently moving there. She was invited on several occasions to the house of Amin Beh Al Mahdy, who taught her how to play the oud, a type of lute. She developed a very close relationship to Rawheya Al Mahdi, daughter of Amin, and became her closest friend. Kulthum even attended Rawheya's daughter's wedding, although she always tried to avoid public appearances.

Amin Al Mahdi introduced her to the cultural circles in Cairo. In Cairo, she carefully avoided succumbing to the attractions of the bohemian lifestyle, and indeed throughout her life stressed her pride in her humble origins and espousal of conservative values. She also maintained a tightly managed public image, which undoubtedly added to her allure.

At this point in her career, she was introduced by friend Robert McClure to the famous poet Ahmad Rami, who wrote 137 songs for her. Rami also introduced her to French literature, which he greatly admired from his studies at the Sorbonne, Paris, and eventually became her head mentor in Arabic literature and literary analysis. Furthermore, she was introduced to the renowned oud virtuoso and composer Mohamed El Qasabgi. El Qasabgi introduced Umm Kulthum to the Arabic Theatre Palace, where she would experience her first real public success. In 1932, her fame increased to the point where she embarked upon a large tour of the Middle East, touring such cities as Damascus, Syria; Baghdad, Iraq; Beirut and Tripoli, Lebanon.

Fame

Umm Kulthum's establishment as one of the most famous and popular Arab singer was driven by several factors. During her early career years, she faced staunch competition from two prominent singers: Mounira El Mahdeya and Fathiyya Ahmad, who had equally beautiful and powerful voices. However, Mounira had poor control over her voice, and Fathiyya lacked the emotive vocal impact that Umm Kulthum's voice had. The presence of all these enabling vocal characteristics attracted the most famous composers, musicians, and lyricists to work with Umm Kulthum.

In the mid-1920s, Mohammad el Qasabgi, who was the most virtuosic oud player and one of the most accomplished yet understated Arab composers of the 20th century, formed her small orchestra (''takht'') composed of the most virtuosic instrumentalists. Furthermore, unlike most of her contemporary artists who held private concerts, Umm Kulthum's performances were open to the general public, which contributed to the transition from classical, and often elitist, to popular Arabic music.

By 1934, Umm Kulthum must have been one of the most famous singers in Egypt to be chosen as the artist to inaugurate Radio Cairo with her voice on May 31. Over the second half of the 1930s, two initiatives sealed the fate of Umm Kulthum as the most popular and famous Arab singer: her appearances in musical movies and the live broadcasting of her concerts performed on the first Thursday of each month of her musical season from October to June. Her influence kept growing and expanding beyond the artistic scene: the reigning royal family would request private concerts and even attend her public performances.

In 1944, King Farouk I of Egypt decorated her with the highest level of orders (''nishan el kamal''), a decoration reserved exclusively to members of the royal family and politicians. Despite this recognition, the royal family rigidly opposed her potential marriage with the King's uncle, a rejection that deeply wounded her pride and led her to distance herself from the royal family and embrace grassroots causes, such as her answering the request of the Egyptian legion trapped in Falujah during the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict to sing a particular song. Among the army men trapped were the figures who were going to lead the bloodless revolution of July 23, 1952, prominently Gamal Abdel Nasser, arguably he was a fan of Umm Kulthum and who would later become the president of Egypt.

Early after the revolution, the Egyptian musicians guild of which she became a member (and eventually president) rejected her because she had sung for the then-deposed King Farouk of Egypt. When Nasser discovered that her songs were forbidden from being aired on the radio, he reportedly said something to the effect of "What are they, crazy? Do you want Egypt to turn against us?" It was his favor that made the musicians' guild accept her back into the fold. But it is uncertain if that happened. In addition, Umm Kulthum was a dedicated Egyptian patriot since the time of King Farouk. Some claim that Umm Kulthum's popularity helped Nasser’s political agenda. For example, Nasser’s speeches and other government messages were frequently broadcast immediately after Umm Kulthum's monthly radio concerts. Umm Kulthum was also known for her continuous contributions to charity works for the Egyptian military efforts. Umm Kulthum’s monthly concerts took place on the first Thursday of every month and were renowned for their ability to clear the streets of some of the world's most populous cities as people rushed home to tune in.

Her songs deal mostly with the universal themes of love, longing and loss. They are nothing short of epic in scale, with durations measured in hours rather than minutes. A typical Umm Kulthum concert consisted of the performance of two or three songs over a period of three to four hours. In the late 1960s, due to her age and weakened vocal abilities, she began to shorten her performances to two songs over a period of two and a half to three hours. These performances are in some ways reminiscent of the structure of Western opera, consisting of long vocal passages linked by shorter orchestral interludes. However, Umm Kulthum was not stylistically influenced by opera and she sang solo most of her career.

During the 1930s, her repertoire took the first of several specific stylistic directions. Her songs were virtuosic, as befit her newly trained and very capable voice, and romantic and modern in musical style, feeding the prevailing currents in Egyptian popular culture of the time. She worked extensively with texts by romantic poet Ahmad Rami and composer Mohammad El-Qasabgi, whose songs incorporated European instruments such as the violoncello and double bass, as well as harmony.

Golden age

Umm Kulthum's musical directions in the 1940s and early 1950s and her mature performing style led this period becoming popularly known as 'the golden age' of Umm Kulthum. In keeping with changing popular taste as well as her own artistic inclinations, in the early 1940s, she requested songs from composer Zakariya Ahmad and colloquial poet Mahmud Bayram el-Tunsi cast in styles considered to be indigenously Egyptian. This represented a dramatic departure from the modernist romantic songs of the 1930s, mainly led by Mohammad El-Qasabgi. Umm Kulthum had abstained from singing Qasabgi's music since the early 1940s. Their last stage song collaboration in 1941 was "Raq el Habib" ("The Lover's Heart Softens"), one of her most popular, intricate, and high-caliber songs.

The reason for the separation is not clear. It is speculated that this was due in part to the popular failure of the movie ''Aida'', in which Umm Kulthum sings mostly Qasabgi's compositions, including the first part of the opera. Qasabgi was experimenting with Arabic music, under the influence of classical European music, and was composing a lot to Asmahan, a singer who immigrated to Egypt from Lebanon and was the only serious competitor for Umm Kulthum before her tragic death in a car accident in 1944.

Simultaneously, Umm Kulthum started to rely heavily on a younger composer who joined her artistic team a few years earlier: Riad El-Sombati. While Sombati was evidently influenced by Qasabgi in those early years, the melodic lines he composed were more lyrical and more acceptable by Umm Kulthum's audience. The result of collaborations with Rami/Sombati and al-Tunisi/Ahmad was a populist and popular repertoire that had lasting appeal for the Egyptian audience.

In 1946, Umm Kulthum defied all odds by presenting a religious poem in classical Arabic during one of her monthly concerts, ''Salou Qalbi'' ("Ask My Heart"), written by Ahmad Shawqi and composed by Sonbati. The success was immediate. It reconnected Umm Kulthum with her early singing years, defined Sombati's unique style in composing and established him as the best composer of music for poems in classical Arabic, toppling Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Similar poems written by Shawqi were subsequently composed by Sombati and sung by Umm Kulthum, including ''Woulida el Houda'' ("The Prophet is Born"; 1949), in which she raised eyebrows of royalists by singing a verse that describes the Prophet Mohammad as "the Imam of Socialists".

At the peak of her career, in 1950, Umm Kulthum sang Sombati's composition of excerpts of what Ahmad Rami considered the accomplishment of his career: the translation into classical Arabic of Omar Khayyám's quartets (''Rubayyiat el Khayyam''). The song included quartets that dealt with both epicurism and redemption. Ibrahim Nagi's poem ''Al-Atlal'' ("The Ruins"), composed by Sonbati and premiered in 1966, is considered by many as Umm Kulthum's best song. While this is debatable as Umm Kulthum vocal abilities had regressed considerably by then, the song can be viewed as the last example of genuine Arabic music at a time when even Umm Kulthum had started to compromise by singing Western-influenced pieces composed by her old rival Mohammed Abdel Wahab.

The duration of Umm Kulthum's songs in performance was not fixed, but varied based on the level of emotive interaction between the singer and her audience and Umm Kulthum's own mood for creativity. An improvisatory technique, which was typical of old classical Arabic singing and that she wonderfully executed for as long as she could have (both her regressing vocal abilities with age and the increased Westernization of Arabic music became an impediment to this art), was to repeat a single line or stance over and over, subtly altering the emotive emphasis and intensity and exploring one or various musical modal scales (''maqām'') each time to bring her audiences into a euphoric and ecstatic state." For example, the available live performances (about 30) of ''Ya Zalemni'', one of her most popular songs, varied in length from 45 to 90 min, depending on both her creative mood for improvisations and the audience request for more repetitions, illustrating the dynamic relationship between the singer and the audience as they fed off each other's emotional energy.

The spontaneous creativity of Umm Kulthum as a singer is most impressive when, upon listening to these many different renditions of the same song over a time span of 5 years (1954–1959), the listener is offered a totally unique and different experience. This intense, highly personalized relationship was undoubtedly one of the reasons for Umm Kulthum's tremendous success as an artist. Worth noting though that the length of a performance did not necessarily reflect either its quality or the improvisatory creativity of Umm Kulthum. Some of her best performances were 25-45 min in duration, such as the three available renditions, including the commercial version of ''El Awwila Fi'l Gharam'' ("First in Love"), and ''Ana Fi Intizarak''("I am waiting for you"), (commercial and 3-3-1955 performance). On the other hand, her songs as of the mid 1960s would extend sometimes over a duration of two hours (premiere of ''Enta Omri'', ''Enta el Hobb'', etc.); however, the repetitions, mostly executed upon the request of the audience, were often devoid of creative musical improvisations and limited to vocal colorful variations on a syllable, letter or word.

Around year 1965, Umm Kulthum started cooperating with composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Her first song composed by Abdel Wahab "Enta Omri" (You are my Life") was condiered the "summit meeting". Several beautiful songs composed by Abdel Wahab followed such as "Amal Hayati" ("The Hope of my Life"), "Fakkarouni" ("They reminded Me"), and others.

Umm Kulthum also sang for composers Mohammad El Mougi and Sayyed Mikkawi.

Legacy

Umm Kulthum has been a significant influence on a number of musicians, both in the Arab World and beyond. Among others, Jah Wobble has claimed her as a significant influence on his work. Bob Dylan has been quoted as saying, "She's great. She really is. Really great." Maria Callas, Jean-Paul Sartre, Marie Laforêt, Salvador Dalí, Nico, Bono, Farin Urlaub, and Led Zeppelin are also known to be admirers of Kulthum's music. Youssou N'Dour, a fan of hers since childhood, recorded his 2004 album ''Egypt'' with an Egyptian orchestra in homage to her legacy. One of her best known songs, "Enta Omri," has been the basis of many reinterpretations, including one 2005 collaborative project involving Israeli and Egyptian artists.

She was referred to as the Lady by Charles de Gaulle, and is regarded as the Incomparable Voice by Maria Callas. Umm Kulthum is remembered in Egypt, the Middle East, and the Arab world as one of the greatest singers and musicians to have ever lived. It is difficult to accurately measure her vocal range at its peak, as most of her songs were recorded live, and she was careful not to strain her voice due to the extended length of her songs. Even today, she has retained a near-mythical status among young Egyptians. She is also notably popular in Israel among Jews (of Mizrahi/Arab background) and Arabs alike, and her records continue to sell about a million copies a year. In 2001, the Egyptian government opened the Kawkab al-Sharq (Star of the East) Museum in the singer's memory. Housed in a pavilion on the grounds of Cairo's Manesterly Palace, the collection includes a range of Umm Kulthum's personal possessions, including her trademark sunglasses and scarves, along with photographs, recordings, and other archival material.

Voice

Kulthum had a contralto vocal range. It is known that she had the ability to sing as low as the second octave, as well as the ability to sing as high as between the seventh and the eighth octaves at her vocal peak; yet she also could easily sing over a range surpassing two octaves near the end of her career. Her ability to produce approximately 14,000 vibrations per second with her vocal cords, her unparalleled vocal strength (no commercial microphone utilized for singing could withstand its strength, forcing her to stand at a 1- to 3-meter radius away from one), and her voice surpassed convention arguably made her the one of the most incomparable voices in the world. Her ability and capability to sing every single Arabic scale made her one of only five women in the history of the Arab world to be able to do this, along with Asmahan, Fairouz, Sabah, and the late Thekra.

Selected discography

''Aghadan alqak'' ("Shall I see you tomorrow?") maqam ajam (1971)

''Ana Fi Entezarak'' (" I am waiting for you") (1943)

''Alf Leila wa Leila'' ("One Thousand and One Nights").....maqam nahawand (1969)

''Arouh li Meen'' or ''Arook Lemeen'' ("Whom Should I Go To").......maqam rast (1958)

''Al Atlal'' ("The Ruins")......maqam huzam (1966)

''Amal Hayati''"; Sono ("Hope of My Life") (1965)

''Ansak Ya Salam'' ("Forget you? Come on!") (1961)maqam rast

''Aqbal al-layl'' ("Night has arrived") (1969)

''Araka asiya al-dam'' ("I see you refusing to cry") (1964)

'''Awwidt 'ayni'' ("I accustomed my eyes") (1957) maqam kurd

''Baeed Anak'' ("Away From You").......maqam bayyati (1965)

''Betfaker fi Meen'' ("Who Are You Thinking Of?").....maqam bayati (1963)

''Dalili Ehtar'' ("I am lost") (1955) maqam kurd

''Dhikrayatun'' (Qessat Hobbi or the story of my love) ("memories")(1955)

'' El Hobb Kolloh'' ("All The Love").......maqam rast (1971)

''Ental Hobb'' ("You Are The Love").......maqam nahwand (1965)

''Enta Omri'' – Sono ("You Are the love of my life")........ maqam kurd (1964)

''Es'al Rouhak'' ("Ask yourself")maqam hugaz kar (1970)

''Fakarouni'' ("They reminded me").......maqam rast (1966)

''Fit al-ma' ad'' ("It Is Too Late"or "the rendezvous is over") Sono Cairo.......maqam sikah (1967)

''Gharib' Ala Bab erraja'' ("Stranger at the door of hope") (1955)

''Ghulubt asalih'' ("Tired of forgiving") (1946)

''Hadeeth el Rouh'' ("The Talk of The Soul")......maqam kurd (1967)

''Hagartek'' or ''Hajartak'' ("I left You") EMI (1959)

''Hasibak lil-zaman'' ("I will leave you to Time") (1962)

''Hathehe Laylati'' ("This is My Night")......maqam bayyati (1968)

''Hayart Albi Ma'ak'' ("You Confused My Heart")......maqam nahwand (1961)

''Hakam 'alayna al-haw'a'' ("Love has ordered me") (1973)

''Hobb Eih'' ("Which Love").....maqam bayyati (1960)

''Howwa Sahih El-Hawa Ghallab'' ("Is love really stronger?") (1960)maqam saba

''Kull al-ahabbah'' ("All the friends") (1941)

La Diva – CD, EMI Arabia, 1998

La Diva II – CD, EMI Arabia, 1998

La Diva III – CD, EMI Arabia, 1998

La Diva IV – CD, EMI Arabia, 1998

La Diva V – CD, EMI Arabia, 1998

''Leilet Hobb'' ("a Night of Love") (1973)maqam nahawand

''Lel Sabr Hedod'' ("Patience Has Limits")......maqam sikah (1964)

''Lessa Faker'' ("You Still Remember").......maqam ajam (1960)

''Men Agl Aynayk'' ("For your eyes") (1972)

''Othkorene'' ("Remember Me") (1939)

''Raq il Habeeb'' ("My Beloved Tendered Back") (1941)

Retrospective – Artists Arabes Associes

''Rihab al-huda (al-Thulathiyah al-Muqaddisah)'' ("the paths to repentance or the holly trinity")(1972)

''Rubaiyat Al-Khayyam'' ("Quatrains of Omar Khayyám").......maqam rast (1950)

''Sirat el Houb'' ("Tale of Love").......maqam sikah (1964)

''Toof we Shoof'' ("Wander and wonder") (1963)

The Classics – CD, EMI Arabia, 2001

''Wi-darit il-ayyam'' ("And Time Passed By").......maqam nahwand (1970)

''Ya Karawan'' ("O Plover") (1926)

''Yali Kan Yashqiq Anini'' ("You who enjoyed my cries") (1949)

''Ya Msaharny'' ("You that keeps me awake at night") (1972) maqam rast

''Ya Zalemny'' ("You who were unjust to me") (1954)maqam kurd

''Zalamna El Hob'' ("We Have Sinned Against Love") (1962)

Anthology by modern artists

Various artists, ''Tribute to Oum Kalsoum,'' (2009)

References

Sources

Danielson, Virginia. ''The Voice of Egypt: Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song, and Egyptian Society in the Twentieth Century''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997.

''Halfaouine: Boy of the Terraces'' (1990) (film). This DVD contains an extra feature short film that documents Arab film history, and it contains several minutes of an Uum Kulthum public performance.

External links

[ allmusic.com biography]

Umm Kulthoum at krwetatnt - The best site for listening to and downloading Umm Kulthoum songs

The Star of the East at Østfold College, Halden, Norway Information and streaming audio of some songs.

"Umm Kulthoum", ''Al-Ahram Weekly'', February 3–9, 2000 - articles and essays marking the 25th anniversary of the singer's death.

Profile of Umm Kulthum and her music that aired on the May 11, 2008, broadcast of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday

Umm Kulthum on BBC Great Lives

Oum Kalsoum exhibition at the Institute Du Monde Arabe, Paris, France from Tuesday, June 17, 2008 to Sunday, November 2, 2008

A list of her recordings in chronological and alphabetical order

Category:1904 births Category:1975 deaths Category:Contraltos Category:Egyptian female singers Category:Egyptian musicians Category:Egyptian singers Category:EMI Records artists

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background	solo_singer
born	September 18, 1958
origin	Sig, Algeria
genre	Rock, raï, Algerian chaabi, Reggae, Rumba-pop,funk, British New WaveElectronica,punk rock,techno,Dance music
occupation	Singer, songwriter, activist
years active	1980–present
label	Knitting Factory RecordsIsland RecordsBarclay Records
website	RachidTaha.Artistes.UniversalMusic.Fr/
notable instruments	}}

Rachid Taha (Arabic: رشيد طه) (born September 18, 1958 in Sig, Algeria) is an Algerian singer and activist based in France who has been described as "sonically adventurous." His music is influenced by many different styles such as rock, electronic, punk and raï.

Early life

Taha was born in 1958 in Sig (Mascara Province), Algeria, although a second source suggests he was born in the Algerian seacoast city of Oran. This town was the "birthplace of raï" music, and 1958 was a key year in the Algerian struggle for independence against French authority. He began listening to Algerian music in the 1960s, including street-style music called chaabi. And music from the Maghreb region was part of his upbringing.

He moved with his parents to France when he was ten years old, settling in an immigrant community around the French city of Lyon in 1968. His father was a textile factory worker, with long hours and low pay, such that his life was compared to that of a "modern slave", according to one account. When 17, Taha worked during the day at a central heating plant, described as a "menial job", and hated this work, but at night worked as a club DJ playing Arabic music, rap, salsa, funks and "anything else that took his fancy." The contrast between menial work during the day and fun during the night may have helped to develop his musical sensibility. In the late 1970s, Taha founded the nightclub called ''The Rejects'' or, in French, ''Les Refoulés'', where he would ''spin'' mashups of Arabic pop classics over Led Zeppelin, Bo Diddley and Kraftwerk backbeats.

Career

Raï roots

In the 1980s, Algeria's indigenous pop music known as ''raï'' began to achieve international attention. Originally raï music was based on "city slickers adapting music from the sticks" and was described as ribald, but it became more of a medium for political protest when young people in the 1960s and 1970s used it to "express their anger and desires." Taha has suggested that Algerian musical styles and rock are "closely linked". Taha was influenced by the North African raï band Nass El Ghiwane which was described as "Morocco's answer to the Beatles or the Stones."

Carte de Séjour

In 1981, while living in Lyon, Taha met Mohammed and Mokhtar Amini and the three of them, along with Djamel Dif and Eric Vaquer would soon form a band. In 1982, Taha was the lead vocalist for the Arab-language rock group which they named Carte de Sejour, meaning ''Green Card'' or ''Residence Permit'' depending on the translation. He sang in both English and Arabic, but usually in Arabic. Taha was inspired by the group ''The Clash'':

Taha met members of the group The Clash in Paris:

Taha believes his early recordings helped to inspire ''The Clash'' to create the song ''Rock the Casbah''. A ''New York Times'' music reporter wrote:

These were difficult years since record stores often refused to stock their records "because they didn't want Arabs coming in to their shops." There was little money; the band performed in suburbs of Lyons. Taha took a standard patriotic French song entitled ''Sweet France'' (in French: ''Douce France'') which had originally been recorded by Charles Trenet in the 1940s, kept the lyrics, but sang it with "furious irony" which irritated many French listeners, particularly coming from a "scruffy, bohemian-looking Arabic singer," to the point where Taha's version was banned from French radio. The "acerbic" song created a "splash", nevertheless, and won Taha some recognition as a serious artist. The group never achieved much commercial success and, as a result, Taha had to work a series of day jobs in a factory, then as a house painter, a dishwasher, and later as an encyclopedia salesperson. They recorded their first maxi album ''Carte De Séjour'' in 1983. In 1984, with the help of British guitarist Steve Hillage, the group achieved a "sharp, driving sound" which played well on the radio, and the LP was entitled ''Rhoromanie''. In his songwriting, Taha wrote about living in exile and the cultural strife associated with being an Algerian immigrant in France. In 1986, his "sneering punk-rock cover of ''Douce France''" was seen as an "unmistakable protest against the nation's treatment of its immigrant underclass," and caused consternation in French political circles. His song ''Voilà, Voilà,'' protested racism. Taha has had to cope with anti-Arab sentiment and confusion; for example, the ''New York Times'' stated in a front-page story that Taha was Egyptian rather than Algerian, but later posted a correction. Later, in 2007, Taha-as-an-immigrant was mentioned in France's National Center of the History of Immigration.

When performing live, Taha wore various outfits, including at one point a leather fedora hat, then later a red cowboy hat. Their second and last LP entitled ''Ramsa'' (Five) was released in 1986. The band dissolved in 1989.

Solo years

In 1989, Taha moved to Paris to launch his solo career. At one point he was invited to Los Angeles to record with musician Don Was, who had been a producer associated with the Rolling Stones. Taha mixed a variety of instruments and styles for his sound. With a drum instrument called a darbuka, his new group played Arabic-style beats. It appeared at one point that Taha might become an "overnight success", but after the release of the album ''Barbes'', sales were disappointing in the United States, possibly because Americans were not keen on Arabic-sounding music during the time of the first Gulf War.

But American music audience were not ready for Arabic pop after the Gulf War, and Taha's 1991 album ''Barbes'' failed to sell well. In 1993, Taha again worked with Hillage who helped produce Taha's second solo album and helped him achieve "the kind of clubland-raï synthesis." Hillage worked on three solo Taha albums from 1993 to 2001, helping Taha return to his "north African roots". In 1995, he released his solo debut album entitled ''Olé Olé'' with Taha looking like an "Aryan androgyne" with dyed blond hair and blue contact lenses, to make a point about anti-Arab bigotry and at the "homophobia of North African culture." In 1997, his song ''Ya Rayah'' meaning ''party'' became a hit. He performed in the Canary Islands.

In 2001, Taha released ''Made in Medina'', and a music critic commented that he used a "full and varied instrumental palette" along with "a dizzying vocal facility that transcends whatever style he's plugged." The album was recorded in Paris, New Orleans, and London with input from the American jam band Galactic. Taha saw parallels between African and American music and said "New Orleans is like Algiers ... They were both French colonies at one time, and there's even an area there called Algiers," and he noted that Louisiana Zydeco drum patterns were similar to raï music. ''Made in Medina'' combined Algerian roots, techno, pop music, and early rock and punk influences with "remarkable consistency" with previous works, according to Hillage. There were elements of political protest in his music leading a BBC critic to describe him as a "shit-disturbing artist who risks challenging his own culture as undemocratic." He wanted to record in New Orleans "because I see parallels between African and American music, and between the music of the African slaves who came to New Orleans, and that of the Gnawas, the black desert tribes who became slaves of the Arabs in north Africa. And New Orleans is like Algiers. They were both French colonies at one time, and there's even an area there called Algiers." He was delighted to find that some of the local Louisiana Zydeco drum patterns are remarkably similar to raï. A report in ''The Guardian'' suggested that Taha had achieved a cult status in pop music.

Taha's breakthrough album as a solo artist was his bestseller Diwân, featuring remakes of songs from Algerian and Arab traditions. The album featured traditional instruments like the oud but with a "contemporary veneer of programmed percussion and samples added in." Taha mixed the oud with strings using a contemporary beat along with guitar work, according to one account. Taha's album ''Tékitoi'', produced by Steve Hillage and released in 2004, brought acclaim and recognition from other rock musicians. The title track is "street slang" meaning, roughly, ''Who the Hell Are You?'' and the music had "echoes of Joe Strummer", according to a review in ''The Observer''. In 2005 Taha performed with Robert Plant, Patti Smith and Brian Eno. He covered The Clash song ''Rock the Casbah'' which he retitled with the Arabic name of ''Rock El Casbah''. This song appeared in the 2007 film about Clash frontman Joe Strummer entitled ''The Future Is Unwritten''. The song suggested rock music as "banned but unstoppable." And, in one concert, Taha performed the song along with ''The Clash'' musician Mick Jones. ''The Guardian'' selected ''Rock El Casbah'' as one of the top 50 cover songs.

Taha played in Morocco in 2005. In 2007, Taha performed in Canada and a reporter from the ''Montreal Gazette'' described his performance while wearing a "pewter pimp suit" which was "stunning":

Some critics attribute Taha's unique sound to his use of the mandolute, a mixture of the traditional oud with European fretted instruments. One critic described his arrangements as "no less bombastic" since they mixed North African rhythms and "string orchestra flourishes" with "pummeling big-beat techno, distorted electric guitars, snatches of Bo Diddley, Led Zeppelin and other macho sounds."

The song ''Barra Barra'' from his album ''Made in Medina'' was featured in the 2001 film ''Black Hawk Down'' as well as in the Games Convention 2008 trailer of the game ''Far Cry 2''. It was featured in the 2007 film ''The Hunting Party''. He performed with the band Dengue Fever.

His song ''Garab'' from ''Made in Medina'' was used in the movie ''The Truth About Charlie'' in 2002, and also in ''Blood and Chocolate'' in 2007. In 2008, Taha was growing increasingly prominent, with greater audiences in places such as Canada, although there were reports that his music had "trouble getting airplay" in France. He performed with Nigerian artists Fela Kuti, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti. as well as Brian Eno in an anti-war concert in London. He was described as a ""wild Algerian punk fan" performing among a lineup which read like a "Who's Who of west African music", and was part of "Africa Express", a response to the lack of African musicians at Bob Geldof's ''Live 8'' musical extravaganza.

In 2009, Taha released ''Bonjour'' which ''The Guardian'' music critic Robin Denselow described as "calmed down" under a new producer, Gaetan Roussel. Denselow wrote: "The result is an unlikely set in which Taha appears to be deliberately courting a new, wider market by playing down that wild rebel image." Denselow felt the music was more "commercial" and "not his most exciting." It included a "rousing tribute" on his cover song ''Rock El Casbah'' to the late Clash guitarist Joe Strummer. In 2010, Taha played in Toronto to large audiences. Taha performed with Algerian artist Mehdi Haddab who plays the oud. Taha's song "Habina" was featured in the 2010 film, "It's Kind of a Funny Story." Guitarist Carlos Santana recorded his song ''Migra'' which went on to sell over 25 million copies. In 2011, Taha is touring the United States.

Reviews

Music critic Philip Brasor in ''Japan Times'' commented that Taha's album ''Made in Medina'' featured Arabic "chanting" which was meant to evoke "the generalized chaos of society" and which features "heart-stopping break beats, flamenco guitar, African choruses, crunching hard rock and the inevitable sappy love song."

Music critic Robin Denselow felt Taha's ''Bonjour'' album was calm -- "he switches between ­Arabic and French in this mix of pleasant ­ballads and novelty pop, with just the occasional reminder of the old passion and anger." Denselow felt his album ''Tékitoi'' (2004) was his "most powerful, direct fusion of rock and north African styles to date." Denselow wrote:

''New York Times'' wrote about Taha's song ''Ah Mon Amour'':

''BBC News'' music critic Martin Vennard described Taha's music as a "seductive mixture of traditional North African, rock, techno and dance music."

Canadian music critic Philly Markowitz named a Taha album one of the best in 2005.

French music critic Amobe Mevegue described Taha as an "eclectic artist".

Personal life

Taha has been described as "gregarious" and "quick with a smile" who likes to party throughout the night. He has a cosmopolitan group of friends including a French girlfriend who recently attended Brown University in the United States. Taha was quoted as saying "I've never wanted to just stay in my own neighborhood, my own community ... It's a kind of conformism. You have to be adventurous." He does not like contemporary French cinema and said "I'd much rather watch some dumb Hollywood movie than another haute bourgeois auteurist piece of crap." He has been a critic of the Bush administration although he has made comments favoring a bombing raid on Iran, and said that "Iran shouldn't be allowed to have nukes."

Discography and Videography

+ Rachid Taha's albums, singles and videos
!Title	!Year	!Label	!Type	!Band	!Notes
	1983		Album	Carte de Séjour
	1984		Single	Carte de Séjour
	1984		Album	Carte de Séjour
	1986		Single	Carte de Séjour
	1986		Album	Carte de Séjour
	1987		Single	Carte de Séjour
	1987		Album	Carte de Séjour
	1991		Album	Solo
	1993		Single	Solo
	1993		Album	Solo
align="left"	1995	Mango	Album	Solo
align="left"	1996	Barclay	Album	Solo
align="left"	1997		Album	Solo
	1997		Single	Solo
	1998	Wrasse Records	Album (live)	Solo
	1999		Album (live)	Solo
	2000		Album	Solo
	2001		Single	Solo
align="left"	2001		Album (live)	Solo
	2004	Wrasse Records	Album	Solo
	2006		Single	Solo
align="left"	2006	Wrasse Records	Album	Solo
align="left"	2007	Wrasse Records	Album	Solo
	2008		Album	Solo
align="left"	2009	Knitting Factory Records	Album	Solo
	1984		Video	Carte De Séjour
	1987		Video	Carte De Séjour
	1991		Video	Solo
	1993		Video	Solo
	1993		Video	Solo
	1995		Video	Solo
	1997		Video	Solo
	1998		Video	Solo
	1999		Video	Solo
	2000		Video	Solo
	2001		Video	Solo
	2004		Video	Solo
	2004		Video	Solo
	2006		Video	Solo
	2006		Video	Solo
	2007		Video	Solo
	2009		Video	Solo

References

Plastino, Goffredo (2003). ''Mediterranean Mosaic: Popular Music and Global Sounds''. Routledge. ISBN 041593656X.

External links

Rachid Taha Official Site

Rachid Taha Bio, Pictures and Photos

Read an album review of Diwân 2 at Allaboutjazz.com

Rachid Taha "Rock El Casbah" on Youtube

Rachid Taha song appears on Saturday Night Live, FrenchMusicBlog.com

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Algerian emigrants to France Category:Algerian musicians Category:Algerian singers Category:People from Oran Category:Kabyle people Category:Raï musicians Category:Wrasse Records artists

ar:رشيد طه bg:Рашид Таха de:Rachid Taha es:Rachid Taha fr:Rachid Taha it:Rachid Taha hu:Rachid Taha pl:Rachid Taha pt:Rachid Taha ru:Таха, Рашид fi:Rachid Taha sv:Rachid Taha tr:Rachid Taha

background	solo_singer
birth name	Hasni Chakroun
alias	Hasni
birth date	February 01, 1968
death date	September 29, 1994
origin	Wahrān
occupation	Singer
notable instruments	}}

Cheb Hasni (Arabic : الشاب حسني) born Hasni Chakroun (February 1, 1968 – September 29, 1994) was a performer of Algerian Raï music. He was popular across North Africa, having reached the height of his career in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was the son of a welder and grew up in a working class family where he was one of seven children. Hasni is most well known for his love songs, but he also dealt with taboo subjects such as divorce and alcohol. He was murdered in 1994.

Early career

Born in Oran, Algeria, Cheb Hasni was interested in performing from an early age. In an interview published in the French newspaper ''Libération'' in 1992, Hasni recounted how "everyone knew me in our neighbourhood when I was a kid. I was always walking up the road with my school bag thrown off my shoulder, singing my head off". Hasni was also talented in football and a good student, but these traits were overshadowed by his musical interests.

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. During the summer of 1987 the pair recorded a provocative song by Morocco n standards, "Beraka" ("The Shack"), gaining them much attention. The subjects of his songs were controversial and made the song popular with Moroccan 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 Islamic 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.

Fame

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".

Assassination

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 then safer environment of France. On September 29, 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 North African performers. A few days before his death, Kabylian singing star Lounès Matoub was abducted by the GIA. The following year, on February 15, 1995, Raï producer Rachid Baba-Ahmed was assassinated in Oran.

External links

# Site on Cheb Hasni (sounds et videos) # « Cheb Hasni, une legende a l'image de l'Algerie » # "Cheb Hasni, histoire d'une tragédie" # "Le raï et Cheb Hasni" # "biographie de Cheb Hasni"

Category:1968 births Category:1994 deaths Category:Algerian male singers Category:Algerian musicians Category:Assassinated Algerian people Category:Assassinated people Category:Murdered musicians Category:People murdered in Algeria Category:Raï musicians

ar:الشاب حسني de:Cheb Hasni es:Cheb Hasni fr:Cheb Hasni id:Cheb Hasni it:Cheb Hasni ms:Cheb Hasni nl:Cheb Hasni fi:Cheb Hasni