Rabat – Rai music has lost a star. French-Algerian singer Rachid Taha died Tuesday night at the age of 59.
The singer of rai, Algerian folk music, died in his Paris home after a heart attack, announced his family in a statement shared by French media.
“His son Lyes, his family, all his friends and his label Naïve, have the regret and the immense sadness to announce the death of the artist Rachid Taha, which occurred this night following a cardiac arrest at his home Lilacs,” the statement said.
Born in 1958 in Saint-Denis-du-Sig near Oran, Algeria, Taha was considered a rai icon for many generations. He had published 10 albums mixing rock, punk, rai, and electro, singing in French, English, and Arabic.
In 2013, he released his last album “Zoom.” In 2016, he received a French award, Victoire de la musique (music victory) in recognition of his entire career. He was preparing to publish a new album at the end of 2018 when he died.
