- Regarded as the grandfather of Algerian pop music.
- His memoir, "From Oran to Marseille", edited by Max Reinhardt and translated by Jonathan Walton, was published by Repeater Books in 2017.
- In 2017 he was winner of a BBC World Music Award, "Culture Crossing" category.
- Algerian pianist, composer and interpreter of Andalusian, Rai, Sephardic and Arab music.
- Professional tailor and initially took up music as a hobby.
- His uncle was the celebrated Messaoud El Mediouni, "Saoud l'Oranais" who died at the Sobibor (Poland) extermination camp during World War 2.
- In 1967 he moved to Marseilles where he opened a clothing factory and took a break from his musical career, which he resumed in the 1980s.
- Following the Algerian War of Independence, he moved to Paris, France where he worked as a tailor as well as occasionally backing Jewish singers.
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