Ahmad Baba Rachid
Encyclopedia
Rachid Baba Ahmed was an Algeria
n musical producer involved in the regional genre known as raï
. He was credited with the international popularization of the genre in 1976, through the new pop raï, with a delicate and sophisticated blend of electronic instrumentation. He was also credited with the development of pop raï during the 1970s and 1980s,1 the performers of which are called cheb or chaba. He was murdered by Islamic fundamentalists on February 15, 1995, which contributed to the conflicts between Islamists
and the Algerian people.
Rachid Baba produced an album titled Rai Rebels, among many other acclaimed titles released in the United States and elsewhere. He was quoted as saying, with regards to censoring the lyrics to the songs on the albums in order to make them appropriate for observant Islamic audiences, "In the beginning, I let [a] cheb sing the words as he wanted. Now I pay attention. When he sings a vulgarity, I say stop. If he doesn’t obey, I cut it during the mixing." Baba helped many young and upcoming artists, including Chaba Fadela
and Cheb Sahraoui
. Ahmed’s modern 24-track studio in Tlemcen produced Algerian pop-raï.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n musical producer involved in the regional genre known as raï
Raï
Raï is a form of folk music that originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s....
. He was credited with the international popularization of the genre in 1976, through the new pop raï, with a delicate and sophisticated blend of electronic instrumentation. He was also credited with the development of pop raï during the 1970s and 1980s,1 the performers of which are called cheb or chaba. He was murdered by Islamic fundamentalists on February 15, 1995, which contributed to the conflicts between Islamists
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
and the Algerian people.
Rachid Baba produced an album titled Rai Rebels, among many other acclaimed titles released in the United States and elsewhere. He was quoted as saying, with regards to censoring the lyrics to the songs on the albums in order to make them appropriate for observant Islamic audiences, "In the beginning, I let [a] cheb sing the words as he wanted. Now I pay attention. When he sings a vulgarity, I say stop. If he doesn’t obey, I cut it during the mixing." Baba helped many young and upcoming artists, including Chaba Fadela
Chaba Fadela
Chaba Fadela , is an Algerian Raï musician and actress.Raised in a poor neighborhood, she starred in the Algerian film Djalti at the age of 14. She launched her musical career as a singer in Boutiba S'ghir's band and began recording with producer Rachid Baba Ahmed in the late 1970s...
and Cheb Sahraoui
Cheb Sahraoui
Cheb Sahraoui is an Algerian Raï musician, the first to tour North America and the first to incorporate electronic synthesizers into his arrangements....
. Ahmed’s modern 24-track studio in Tlemcen produced Algerian pop-raï.