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Cheikh El Hasnaoui

c. 1910–2002Kabylie
📖Their story

A Kabyle singer who lived much of his life in France, Cheikh El Hasnaoui composed melancholy songs of exile, love and longing that touched generations of Algerian listeners.

Why they matter

He shaped a poetic Kabyle song tradition centered on the experience of emigration.

💡Did you know?

He withdrew almost entirely from public life in his later years, adding to his legend.

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