Djamel Laroussi is an Algerian singer, composer, songwriter, arranger and guitar player. [1]
Laroussi was born in Sidi Ben Adda, Algeria, moved to Cologne, Germany, to attend Cologne Academy of Music. Since 2018 he is Member of the Group de:Wildes Holz from Recklinghausen, Germany. Laroussi sings in Algerian Arabic, French and Kabyle Berber. Djamel Laroussi was the first person from Africa to be admitted to the prestigious Music University of Cologne. He has graduated the school with honors as he was the first of his class, in composition and jazz arrangements, guitar and drums. He had been engaged in self-education before he was accepted to the University. Djamel is left-handed and plays the guitar upside down without reversing the strings. Being famous in Algeria, Djamel has been the Algerian representative for UNICEF since 2009. In cooperation with the Cultural Minister of Algeria he has set up an annual International Jazz-Festival in Algeria. Stevie Wonder’s Band hired him as a member for the European tour In June and July 2010. During his creative career he has been playing with many Jazz musicians such as Graham Haynes, Steve Williamson, Nelson Veras, Keith Copeland, Chico Freeman. His music is a mixture of Western sound from Jazz and rock which is melt in his Arabic-Kabyle genes, and has always worked across different styles and genres. [2]
Live albums'
Arabic music is the music of the Arab world with all its diverse music styles and genres. Arabic countries have many rich and varied styles of music and also many linguistic dialects, with each country and region having their own traditional music.
Kabyle or Kabylian is a Berber language (tamazight) spoken by the Kabyle people in the north and northeast of Algeria. It is spoken primarily in Kabylia, east of the capital Algiers and in Algiers itself, but also by various groups near Blida, such as the Beni Salah and Beni Bou Yaqob.
Rachid Taha was an Algerian singer and activist based in France described as "sonically adventurous". His music was influenced by many different styles including rock, electronic, punk and raï.
Berber music refers to the musical traditions of the Berbers, a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arabs in the Arab migration to the Maghreb. Their main connections are identified by their usage of the mostly mutually unintelligible Berber languages. Berber music varies widely across North Africa. It is stylistically diverse, with songs being predominantly African rhythms and a stock of oral literature.
Lounès Matoub was an Algerian Kabylian singer, poet, thinker who sparked an intellectual revolution, and mandole player who was an advocate of the Berber cause, human rights, and secularism in Algeria throughout his life.
Souad Massi is an Algerian Berber singer, songwriter and guitarist. She began her career performing in the Kabyle political rock band Atakor, before leaving the country following a series of death threats. In 1999, Massi performed at the Femmes d'Algérie concert in Paris, which led to a recording contract with Island Records.
The Berber Spring was a period of political protest and civil activism in 1980, claiming recognition of the Berber identity and language in Algeria, with events mainly taking place in Kabylia and Algiers.
The Kabyle people are a Berber ethnic group indigenous to Kabylia in the north of Algeria, spread across the Atlas Mountains, 160 kilometres (100 mi) east of Algiers. They represent the largest Berber population of Algeria and the second largest in North Africa.
Philip John Albert "Jon" Hiseman was an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer, and music publisher. He played with the Graham Bond Organisation, with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and later formed what has been described as the "seminal" jazz rock/progressive rock band, Colosseum. He later formed Colosseum II in 1975.
Djamel Eddine Mesbah is an Algerian professional manager and a former footballer who is currently the assistant manager of the Algeria U23.
Jeunesse Sportive Madinet de Béjaïa known as JSM Béjaïa or simply JSMB for short, is an Algerian professional football club based in Béjaïa, Kabylia. The club was founded in 1936 and its colours are green and red. Their home stadium, Maghrebi Unity Stadium, has a capacity of 17,500 spectators. The club is currently playing in the Inter-Régions Division.
Hacène Zermani, known by the stage name Takfarinas, is an Algerian Kabyle Yal musician. Takfarinas took his surname from the ancient warrior of North Africa Tacfarinas who fought against the presence of the Romans in Algeria. Since 1979 Takfarinas has lived in France. However, his songs promote and celebrate the Kabyle culture into which he was born. Takfarinas is perhaps best known for his voice which covers a wide range and the 'takfa' which is based on a traditional lute like instrument which he has modified by adding a second neck. Each neck provides a distinct sound, one neck is feminine and the other masculine. Nowadays the takfa has been replaced by an electric half-drum mandole. Like the takfa this has two fingerboards. The advantage of this new instrument is that it is able to create the large concert sound which he now needs.
The Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie, officially named the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie before 3 October 2013, is a Kabyle nationalist and separatist political organization seeking autonomy, self-determination rights of the Kabyle people, and ultimately independence of the Kabylie region from Algeria. It was founded by the Kabyle Berberist Ferhat Mehenni, now president of the Provisional Government of Kabylie in exile, after the "Black Spring" disturbances in 2001.
Blonde dans la Casbah is Biyouna's second album, released in January 2007. Its most prominent song is single Une Blonde Platine dans la Casbah, a song dedicated to Biyouna's mother, which has since gone to number one in several countries.
Khaled Hadj Ibrahim, better known by his mononym Khaled, is an Algerian raï singer, musician and songwriter. He began recording in his early teens under the name Cheb Khaled.
Cheikh El Hasnaoui his real name is Mohamed Khelouat was a Berber singer born in Taâzibt, a small town in the wilaya of Tizi Ouzou in Algeria.
Djamel Haimoudi is an Algerian football referee. He has been a FIFA listed international referee since 2004.
Mohamad Fityan is a Syrian musician and composer known for his mastery of the ney and kawala.
Babylone is an Algerian musical group established in 2012 with three principal members being Amine Mohamed Djemal, Rahim El Hadi and Ramzy Ayadi. The band has released the studio album Brya in 2013 after huge success of their single "Zina" that won Algerian Song of the Year during the Algerian Music Awards 2014 with the band itself winning "Algerian Band of the Year". Babylone sings mainly in Algerian Dziriya or derja in a musical style known as "dziri style", being Algerian world music with various international music influences.