Idir - The Poet of the Mountains

The mountainous landscape of Kabylia - meaning “Land of Tribes”- is a region that belongs to the Atlas Mountains and spreads along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. With a nurturing sea and a harsh mountain as guardian deities, it is the homeland of the Kabyle people, known for its vibrant culture and traditions. A monumental figure in Kabyle music and Amazigh culture, a singer-songwriter and musician,  who was soon to be referred to as the "King of Amazigh music," was born nearly seven decades ago. This article is dedicated to this musician whose lyrics are nothing short of poetries, whose voice is akin to a calm ocean yet shakes the stern mountain. This is the story of Idir, one of its most cherished ambassadors of Berber or Amazigh music.

Idir was born in Aït Yenni, Tizi Ouzou Province, part of former French Algeria, on 25 October 1945 as Hamid Cheriet. Raised in a family that valued tradition, Idir was exposed to the music and oral poetry of his ancestors from a young age. The region of Kabylie is a historically significant area in Algeria. The people have a deep-rooted heritage and not only that, they had to bear the curse of colonialism and political repression. Their language and culture were marginalized by the predominantly Arab culture of the Algerian government. Both the nourishing culture and more than a century-long struggle against oppression influenced and eventually shaped the artistic vision of Idir. This background, apart from molding his worldview, served as inspiration for his lyrics, which often reflected the themes of identity, nostalgia, and social issues.

Idir, oblivious to what his fate had in reserve for him, pursued studying geology and to establish his career path, he worked in an oil and gas field. In this petroleum field, his musical proficiency didn't go unnoticed. Despite his nonchalance towards becoming a professional artist, in 1973, he substituted for Nouara, an Algerian singer, on Radio Algeria. He performed  "A Vava Inouva", a lullaby composed by Idir with Ben Mohamed  incorporating the "rich oral traditions" of his Amazigh culture and was inspired by a traditional story about “a young girl trying to save her father from danger.” 

This song was written for Nouara, but she refused. Left with no other choice, Idir interpreted it himself, sang it on the radio, and went on with his involuntary draft for military service, unaware of the aftermath of his song. The lullaby song was an immediate success. Moreover, it might arguably be the best-known song in the Kabyle language internationally as well as an unprecedented commercial hit.

Here, it should be mentioned why Idir chose this  stage name during his performance of  "A Vava Inouva.” During the epidemics in Algeria, there were neither doctors nor hospitals for medical care. There were times when children were dying as soon as they were born. In hope for their children’s survival through the epidemics, parents named them “Idir,” a kabyle name which means “He lives.”

After returning from his mandatory military service, he was surprised by the success and praise his song had received. He realized the extent of the power that his music held and the responsibility of becoming the voice of his people and his cultural heritage that he was bestowed upon. During this time, Idir was contacted by the record company Pathé Marconi as well, and he knew what he had to do. With a more refined sense of the journey he had to embark on, in 1975, he set out for France to work on his debut album- A Vava Inouva. On this album, we can hear his signature sound featuring traditional Kabylian flute and darbouka. In Idir’s own words, the title song, “A Vava Inouva”  had chosen him. Maybe it really did, considering the success it brought him and how it was translated into seven languages. 

Following his sophomore album  Ay Arrac Nneɣ in 1979, Idir took a long hiatus from music. He felt unsatisfied with the show-biz and his stage performances. And for more than a decade, all he did was perform for a few recitals. But, in 1991 he released a compilation album with 17 tracks from his previous albums. This was named A Vava Inouva, the same as his debut album and, of course, features his greatest song “A Vava Inouva”. This album also features other successful songs, such as "Azwaw", "Zwit Rwit", "Ssendu" and "Cfiy".  The Amazigh song  "Zwit Rwit" has an Arabic version,  covered by prominent Algerian Rai singer Cheb Khaled.

Idir’s true comeback to the music scene occurred when he released a new album Les Chasseurs de lumières.  This album had characteristic compositional traits like the utilization of the derbouka, flute, and guitar and poetic lyrics on love, freedom, and exile. But, it also had a modernized sense of composing which is evident from the incorporation of synthesizers. After the release of this record, he became a revered figure who advocated the Kabyle and Berber cultures through his form of art.

In his 2007 album, La France des Couleurs ( meaning “France of Colors"), Idir contemplated the diversity of the identity of all French people, multiculturalism, and immigration. After releasing his final album, Ici et Ailleurs (meaning "Here and Elsewhere"), he returned to his native Algeria. 

Idir started performing in his homeland with renewed vigor after being practically exiled for 38 years. His concerts were flooded with his native fans. His concerts were much more than mere entertainment for his admirers, these were his way of supporting different causes. He shared a stage with his friend, singer Khaled, in a concert for peace, freedom, and tolerance. Idir participated in a concert held in memory of the Kabyle singer Lounès Matoub, who, along with Idir, was considered as an unstoppable force against the oppression of the Kabyle people. Adhering to his pride in his national identity, he organized a fund-raising concert in support of the population in Kabylie amidst the anti-government riots that were taking place in the predominantly Berber region.

In retrospect, Idir had always been a cultural ambassador for the Kabyle people.  He has inspired a new generation of musicians to explore their heritage and encouraged them to take pride in their identity and tradition. He was a valiant human being who instilled the idea of preserving the diversity of culture and stood against the insidious rush of our society to homogenize the whole world and turn it into a gray soup of modernity. Without a shred of doubt, he is the true  “King of Amazigh.”