Idir

Idir was a Kabyle singer and composer whose song A Vava Inouva carried Berber music around the world. He was born on 25 October 1949 in the village of Aït Lahcène, in Ath Yenni, and died on 2 May 2020 in Paris.

Hamid Cheriet was his real name, and Ath Yenni lies about 40 km from Tizi Ouzou. He studied geology and planned to become a geologist.

His career began in 1973, when he replaced the singer Nouara at short notice on Radio Alger. A Vava Inouva, with words by the poet Ben Mohamed, was later translated into about 15 languages.

Idir moved to Paris in 1975 and released his first album, A Vava Inouva, in 1976. On Identités (1999) he sang with Manu Chao, Karen Matheson and Maxime Le Forestier. La France des couleurs followed in 2007, and Ici et ailleurs in 2017.

In January 2018 the singer gave 2 concerts in Algiers, his first in Algeria for about 38 years. He died of pulmonary fibrosis and was buried at Père Lachaise cemetery, in Paris, on 13 May 2020.

Paris gave his name to a square in the 20th arrondissement in April 2024. On 2 May 2026, the sixth anniversary of his death, a new monument with his likeness was unveiled in Aït Lahcène.