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Cheikha Rimitti
Saâdia Bedief was born in Tessala, Algeria, on May 8, 1923, into a family of
peasant origin, and soon came into contact with rural songs and Bedouin raï.
These early encounters with music fascinated the young Algerian, who took up
singing in the 1940s and was one of the first women to perform, accompanied by
gasba flute and guellal drum. Opting for the name Cheikha Rimitti, her songs
made a lasting impression with their themes of love, women and freedom, which
challenged hegemonic discourse. Initially censored by the Front de Libération
Nationale, she scored her first major succe...
