30 Facts About Rachid Taha

Rachid Taha was an Algerian singer and activist based in France described as "sonically adventurous".

Rachid Taha's music was influenced by many different styles including rock, electronic, punk and rai.

Rachid Taha began listening to Algerian music in the 1960s, including street-style music called chaabi.

Rachid Taha moved with his parents to France when he was ten years old, settling in an immigrant community around the French city of Lyon in 1968.

Rachid Taha's father was a textile factory worker, with long hours and low pay, such that his life was compared to that of a "modern slave", according to one account.

In 1981, while living in Lyon, Rachid Taha met Mohammed and Mokhtar Amini and the three of them, along with Djamel Dif and Eric Vaquer, would soon form a band.

In 1982, Rachid Taha was the lead vocalist for the Arab-language rock group which they named Carte de Sejour, meaning Green Card or Residence Permit depending on the translation.

Rachid Taha sang in both French and Arabic, but usually in Arabic.

Rachid Taha gave them a copy of a demo tape by his band, Carte de Sejour, an outfit from Lyon who combined Algerian rai with funk and punk rock.

Rachid Taha believed his early recordings helped to inspire The Clash to create the song "Rock the Casbah".

The group never achieved much commercial success and, as a result, Rachid Taha had to work a series of day jobs in a factory, then as a house painter, a dishwasher, and later as an encyclopedia salesman.

Rachid Taha had to cope with anti-Arab sentiment and confusion; for example, The New York Times stated in a front-page story that Rachid Taha was Egyptian rather than Algerian, but later posted a correction.

Later, in 2007, Rachid Taha-as-an-immigrant was mentioned in France's National Center of the History of Immigration.

When performing live, Rachid Taha wore various outfits, including at one point a leather fedora hat, then later a red cowboy hat.

In 1989, Rachid Taha moved to Paris to launch his solo career.

In 1993, Taha again worked with Hillage who helped produce his second solo album, the self-titled Rachid Taha and helped him achieve "the kind of clubland-rai synthesis".

In 2005 Rachid Taha performed with Robert Plant, Patti Smith and Brian Eno.

Rachid Taha covered The Clash song "Rock the Casbah" which he retitled with the Arabic name of "Rock El Casbah".

Rachid Taha performed the song along with The Clash musician Mick Jones.

In 2007, Rachid Taha performed in Canada and a reporter from the Montreal Gazette described his performance while wearing a "pewter pimp suit" which was "stunning":.

Rachid Taha brought the crowd down and then back up for coute-moi camarade, an irresistible bounce about female treachery from the Diwan 2 album.

In 2008, Rachid Taha was growing increasingly prominent, with greater audiences in places such as Canada, although there were reports that his music had "trouble getting airplay" in France.

Rachid Taha performed with Nigerian artists Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti in Lagos at a "Felabration" of the music of their late father Fela Kuti, as well as with Brian Eno in an anti-war concert in London.

In 2009, Rachid Taha released Bonjour which The Guardian music critic Robin Denselow described as "calmed down" under a new producer, Gaetan Roussel.

In 2010, Rachid Taha played in Toronto, Canada to large audiences.

Rachid Taha performed with Algerian artist Mehdi Haddab who plays the oud.

In recent years, Rachid Taha toured nations including the United States and Dubai.

In 2013 Rachid Taha released the Zoom album, which was produced by guitarist Justin Adams and featured guests Mick Jones and Brian Eno;.

Rachid Taha recorded "Now or Never", which features Jeanne Added singing in English.

Rachid Taha died from a heart attack in his sleep on 12 September 2018, six days before his 60th birthday.