Algeria
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Idir
Ait Lahcene, Algeria
Archival Overview
Beloved Algerian Kabyle singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist whose 1976 lullaby 'A Vava Inouva' became the first international world music hit from North Africa, heard in seventy-seven countries.
Biographical Record
Born Hamid Cheriet in Ait Lahcene in the Djurdjura mountains, Idir originally studied geology. In 1973, called to replace a singer on Radio Algiers at the last minute, he performed A Vava Inouva (Father Inouva), an enchanting acoustic lullaby based on ancient Kabyle folktales written by poet Ben Mohamed.
Recorded in Paris in 1976, A Vava Inouva achieved unprecedented global success, translated into Spanish, Greek, French, and Japanese, establishing Amazigh music on the international stage. Idir was a universal bridge-builder, collaborating with Manu Chao, Charles Aznavour, and Khaled on his landmark 1999 album Identités. In January 2018, after a forty-year absence, he returned in triumph to perform in Algiers to euphoric tears.
Key Life Milestones
Global Triumph of A Vava Inouva
Released the acoustic masterwork that brought Amazigh language and culture to radio airwaves across 77 nations.
Release of the Identités Album
Recorded monumental musical duets with Charles Aznavour, Manu Chao, and Maxime Le Forestier.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialParis, France