Faudel

The French music scene, long renowned as a thriving center for world music, has now become a refuge for Algerian rai stars. Faced with repression and death in their homeland, a number of top Algerian rai stars have now set up home in Paris and launched successful international careers from France. The French capital and the surrounding suburbs have now become a rich breeding ground for young chebs seeking to emulate the examples of Khaled and Cheb Mami. Indeed, a whole new generation of rai musicians are now "made in France." Twenty-five year-old rai star Faudel is typical of the New Rai Generation.

Faudel Bellula, better known to fans as Faudel, was born on June 6, 1978, in the Paris suburb of Mantes-la-Jolie, where he grew up in the Yal-Fourre neighborhood. His father, who was also born in Chlef, Algeria, worked on a production line in a Renault car factory while his mother, who was also born in Algeria (in the village of Hennaya) worked as a cleaner. —Courtesy Calabash Music