Rachid Taha is an Algerian singer based in France. His music is influenced by many different styles such as rock, electronic, punk and raï.
Born in 1958 in Algeria, he moved with his parents to France when he was ten years old. 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 rock group Carte de Sejour. He sang in both English and Arabic, inspired by the group The Clash. In 1986, Taha took a standard patriotic French song entitled 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 to the point where Taha’s version was banned from French radio.
In 1989, Taha moved to Paris to launch his solo career with the release of Barbès in 1991.
Taha’s breakthrough album as a solo artist was his bestseller Diwân, featuring remakes of songs from Algerian and Arab traditions and including the famous single Ya Rayah.
Taha’s album Tékitoi, released in 2004, is one of his most creative and complex albums. The record brought acclaim and recognition from other rock musicians, including Mick Jones from The Clash.