![cheb khaled el babour cheb khaled el babour](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6Ymhb3Ms170/hqdefault.jpg)
The lyrics of his songs came from a collective pool, and were no different in content than those sung by other rai artists. Khaled emerged from a large and vibrant music scene in Oran (in Arabic, Wahran). Khaled, from "a land torn apart by intolerance and violence," says Eyre, "stood out as an artist who embraced openness and peace." The real story of Khaled is more interesting, one rooted in Algerian politics and in its large and vibrant musical scene. Eyre depicts Khaled as well as a kind of "bad boy," in the image of a U.S. Eyre presents a picture of an exceptional artist who favors tolerance and peace, and whose courageous positions have angered many Muslims and forced him to take refuge in the West. Unfortunately, his introduction of Khaled repeated several unfortunate and misleading myths about rai music.
![cheb khaled el babour cheb khaled el babour](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c1/ee/a1/c1eea1849297614cbbfd1c5b9173122e--site-officiel-youtube.jpg)
Banning Eyre, a regular commentator on World Music on NPR and producer for Afropop Worldwide who has worked tirelessly to promote music from Africa, including the Maghreb, introduced Khaled to the NPR audience. Cheb Khaled, the Algerian rai singer who is probably the best-known Arabic singer on the planet, was selected this summer as one of NPR's 50 Great Voices.