Salim Halali
| Salim Halali | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Simon Halali |
| Born |
30 July 1920 Annaba, (Bône), Algeria |
| Died | 25 June 2005 (aged 84) Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France |
| Genres | Middle of the road (music), Algerian music, Flamenco, Chanson |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Darbouka |
Salim Halali or Salim Hilali (birth name Simon Halali, 30 July 1920 – 25 June 2005) was an Algerian singer who performed Arabic Andalusian classical music and Algerian music. He was a pop singer rather than a professional performer of traditional Arab-Andalusian music, in which he had no formal training. Many of his songs remain popular in North Africa and among Jewish and Arab North African communities in France, where he is "an iconic figure of French-Arab cabaret music."
Salim Halali was born in Annaba, Algeria. His father was of Turkish origin and his mother of Judeo-Berber origin. Hallali's grandfather Jacob married Baia (Berthe) Brami and had four sons and two daughters. The eldest son Mushi (1850-1918) and his wife Zeira Taieb moved to Ain Beida, a town in eastern Algeria. They had several children, one of whom, Fraji, married Chalbia Bakis and moved to Annaba and then to Souk Ahras, Algeria. Salim Hallali was one of their seven sons and three daughters.
Salim Hallali stowed away on a ship bound for Marseille in 1934 and reached Paris in 1937 where he became successful as a singer in Parisian flamenco clubs, and met the Algierian music hall artist Mohamed el Kamel, who wrote Halali's first songs, including Andaloussia (I love a girl named Andalusia), Sevillane, Taali, Ardjaâ lebladek, Bine el barah el youm wa (Between yesterday and today), Mounira (the name of one of his sisters), Nadira, ouchq El Saheb, and El qelb chahik. In later years, Mohand Iguerbouchène composed fifty songs for him. In 1938, Halali toured Europe and his flamenco records in Arabic became successful in North Africa. Among his other successes are Al ain Zarga (The Blue Eyes), Mahenni zine (The beauty disturbed me), Habibti samra (My beloved brown) and Allala illali.
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