Blaoui Houari

Blaoui Houari (Arabic: بلاوي الهواري Blawī al-Hwārī; 23 January 1926 – 19 July 2017) was an Algerian singer-songwriter, composer and conductor.

[2] Houari began his career as a singer-songwriter in the 1940s, when he first played music at weddings and circumcision ceremonies.

[1] During the Algerian War, Houari was arrested by the French army and detained in Sig for his pro-Algerian songs.

[2][4] When Algeria became an independent nation in 1962, he became the head of Oran's public radio and television stations.

"[5] Indeed, his music influenced many raï performers, including Khaled, who covered some of his songs,[1][6] as well as Houari Benchenet and Cheb Mami.