Houria Aïchi (born in Batna) is an Algerian Berber singer of chaoui music.Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa – Ghada Talhami – 2012 Page 58 "... singers, such as the Djurdjura Group, Malika Domrane, Nouara, Houria Aichi, and Fatima Tabaamrant" Aïchi sings songs that she learnt in her childhood,The Virgin directory of world music – Page 7 Philip Sweeney – 1991 "Other prominent members of the 1970s Kabyle modern song movement are the male singers Idir, Brahim Izri, the male group ... Houria Aichi learnt the kernel of her repertoire of Chaoui songs as a child in Algeria and now performs these shrill, ..." accompanied by bendir.Afropop: An Illustrated Guide To Contemporary African Music ed. Sean Barlow, Banning Eyre, Jack Vartoogian – 1995 "Though rai gets the most attention internationally, Algeria also has a roots music scene that includes Kabylie Berber singers performing mostly acoustic music. Houria Aichi, with her shawiya style, sings accompanied prominently by bendir
Biography
Born in Aurès, Houria Aïchi went to study psychology in Paris in the 1970s. While teaching sociology, she started to perform in 1985, singing traditional songs of her childhood (lullabies, love songs), accompanied by traditional instruments (gasbâ, bendir), Her first two released albums did not open doors.
Houria Aïchi also participated in the music for the film The Sheltering Sky by Bernardo Bertolucci (1990). Her third album, Khalwa (meaning A Mystical Retreat) was a collaboration with which was devoted to the sacred songs of Algeria, including those of dhikr and soufi.
Houria Aïchi performed both in 2008 and 2013 at the festival Au fil des voix (fr). She performed regularly in Paris from the 1990s.Time Out Paris – 1997 p274 Institut du Monde Arabe "Regulars include Persian zarb virtuoso Djamchid Chemirani, Indian sarangi star Ustad Sabri Khan and Berber singer Houria Aichi. After the winter season of 2017–18 in France, Houria Aïchi was invited to the "Festival Salam Orient" on October 21, 2019, in Vienna.
Discography Chants De L'aurés (1990, Auvidis – Naïve) Hawa (1996, Auvidis) Khalwa, chants sacrés de l'Algérie (2001, Virgin Classics)
Houria Aïchi & Henri Agnel. Chants Sacrés d'Algérie (Sacred Songs from Algeria) (2005, Angel Records) Songs of the Aures – Arabic Berber Songs by Houria Aichi (2006, NAIVE WORLD) Renayate (2013, Harmonia Mundi) Chants Mystiques D'algeri (2017 NAIVE WORLD)
Houria Aïchi & l'Hijâz'Car Les Cavaliers de l'Aurès (Riders of the Aurès) (2008 agreements with Harmonia Mundi)
Compilation
The Rough Guide to the Music of North Africa (1997, World Music Network)
Footnotes Notes
References
External links Houria Aïchi and the Hijâz'Car "Cavaliers de l'Aurès" – Mystical chantes of Algeria – Accords Croisés