Idir

Following the success of "Rsed A Yidess" in 1973, rai artist Idir left for Paris to sign with Pathe, which released his first album, A Vava Inouva, in 1975; its title track became a mammoth hit. Firmly in the tradition of Berber music, his signature sound featured traditional Kabylian flute and derbouka. Subsequently, Idir recorded Identités (1999) and La France des Couleurs (2007). The desire to reflect contemporary, racially integrated France is felt in all his new music, in the texts as much as his choice of collaborators, ranging from African legend Tiken Jah Fakoly to French urban acts like Kenza Farah. ~ Caspar Salmon