Idir

Idir
Background information
Birth name	Hamid Cheriet
Born	1949
Origin	Beni Yenni, Algeria
Genres	Traditional Kabyle music, Pop , folk, Fusion
Occupation(s)	Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, Musician
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Flute, Percussions
Years active	1976–present
Website	Official Site

Hamid Cheriet (in Kabyle language Ḥamid Ceryat) better known by his stage name Idir (in Kabyle language Yidir) (b. 1949 in Beni Yenni, Algeria) is a Berber Algerian musician.

Idir was born in Beni Yenni, a Berber village in Haute-Kabylie. This farmer's son started studying Geology and was destined for a career in the petroleum industry before his rise to stardom. Idir has been the ambassador of the Kabyle culture, especially the Kabyle music, with only his vocals and acoustic guitar. Idir has always used his status to claim his Berber (Amazigh) identity. His first album A Vava Inouva came out in 1976, and the song "A Vava Inouva" was translated into seven languages. After notable success, Idir wrote and recorded his second album Ay Arrac Negh (meaning To our children) in 1979.

Idir restarted his career again with the release of a compilation in 1991 of seventeen songs from his first two albums "A Vava Inouva" and "Ay Arrac Negh".

In 1993, a new album Les Chasseurs de lumières (meaning the hunters of lights) appeared on the Blue Silver label. "Les Chasseurs de lumières" is about (his) predilection, love, freedom and exile (which he had known since he moved to the Paris region in 1975). The acoustic guitar gives to the songs of this album a touch of modernism. We can also hear the voice of the Breton singer Alan Stivell in the duo "Isaltiyen".

Idir restarted his career once again with Identités in 1999, a tribute album which joined numerous artists together including Manu Chao, Dan Ar Braz, Maxime Le Forestier, and Karen Matheson for a "A Vava Inouva 2". Also included were Gnawa Diffusion, Zebda, Gilles Servat, Geoffrey Oryema and the Orchestre National de Barbès.

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