Cheb Nacim combines contemporary Rai with a traditional music base. Singing in Arabic, he possesses a unique combination of tone and technique that transcends language barriers and genre preferences. His first major concerts took place around the suburbs of Nantes in 1993, in venues such as Quai de la Fosse with Khaled and Cheb Mami and the Triangle in Rennes. Cheb Nacim took part in the tribute concert for Cheb Hasni alongside the biggest stars of Rai, Sahraoui, Faudel, Cheb Nasro, Rachid Taha, Mohamed Lamine and Cheikha Rimitti.
Through his performances Cheb Nacim’s reputation grew considerably and saw him open concerts for L’Orchestre National de Barbes at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Faudel at the Hammersmith Palais in London.
In the tradition of the great Rai singers Cheb Hasni, Khaled and others, Cheb Nacim recorded Algerian Rai, an album of passionate Rai songs by Hasni, Dahman El Har-rachi, Abderahmane Djoudi, as well as original compositions.
Discography
Algerian Rai (ARC, 2006)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.