Cheikha Rimitti Essentials

Cheikha Rimitti’s music was inspired by abject poverty and lifelong hardships, topics that typify raï’s social consciousness. As an orphaned peasant girl in rural Algeria with few avenues of escape, she joined a roving band of troubadours at the age of 15 before adopting her moniker and, eventually, earning stardom. The late singer broke boundaries—hits like “Nouar” deal with the twin taboos of sex and intoxication. On 1994 album Sidi Mansour she collaborated with the likes of Flea and Robert Fripp, helping to pioneer innovations in raï by introducing electronic and rock elements.