Idir died on 2 May 2020 at the age of 70. For listeners in Kabylia, across Tamazgha, and throughout the diaspora, his voice had become part of an intimate musical memory shared across borders.
Born Hamid Cheriet in Aït Lahcène in 1949, he gained international recognition with A Vava Inouva in the 1970s. The song carried the atmosphere of Kabyle storytelling into homes far beyond the place and language in which it began.
His music joined a careful attention to melody with an attachment to cultural expression. Later projects, including Identités and La France des couleurs, created encounters with musicians from different backgrounds while keeping that attachment present.
In January 2018, his return to the Algerian stage for Yennayer was a significant moment for audiences who had waited many years to see him perform there again.
Agraw offers its condolences to his daughter Tanina, his family, friends, collaborators, and listeners. His recordings continue to hold the warmth of a voice that made people feel connected to home.
Preserved from Agraw’s cultural archive.
