Iconic Algerian-French singer Rachid Taha dies aged 59

Iconic Algerian-French singer Rachid Taha dies aged 59
Taha and his group became the standard-bearers for the second generation of the North African community in France.
2 min read
12 September, 2018
The charismatic singer was a giant of French music in the 1980s. [Getty]

Legendary Algerian-born singer Rachid Taha died from a heart attack on Tuesday night aged 59, his family said.

The charismatic singer was a giant of French music in the 1980s with Arabic-language group Carte de Sejour, which fused rock with Algerian rai music.

"It is with regret and immense sadness that his son Lyes, his family and relatives, his friends and his record label Naïve, announce the death of artist Rachid Taha, following a heart attack overnight at his home in the Lilas [near Paris]," read a statement sent to AFP.

Taha was born in Algeria in 1958 and moved to Lyon with his family aged 10.

He and his group became the standard-bearers for the second generation of the North African community in France.

Taha later went solo and his hit 1998 album "Diwan" featured Algerian Chaabi songs, including the popular "Ya Rayah", which reached number 11 in the French charts.

In 2004 he covered Rock the Casbah by The Clash, Britain's iconic punk rock group who he often cited as a major influence.

"All those memories: the success of Ya Rayah, the historic '1,2,3 soleils' gig, the parties, the chats and laughter all night long! How sad…! RIP dear friend", producer Pascal Nègre wrote on Twitter.

Taha was reportedly preparing to release a new album, Believe, prior to his death.

Fellow artists and fans paid tribute to the singer on social media.

"Rachid Taha - the rebel voice of a generation of North African and Arab Europeans who expressed through his music the unapologetic message that we could belong to here, there and nowhere - has died," journalist and author Khaled Diab wrote on Twitter.

Lebanese singer Elissa mourned the loss of a "unique artist".


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