Faudel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Faudel
Faudel at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival
Background information
Native name	فضيل
Birth name	Faudel Belloua
Also known as	The Little Prince of Raï (Le petit prince du raï)
Born	(1978-06-06) June 6, 1978 (age 47) Paris, France
Genres	Raï, Pop, R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer, actor
Labels	Mercury/Universal

Faudel Belloua (born June 6, 1978) is a French singer and actor. He is known for his Raï music, a popular style from Algeria. Faudel has released several albums, including Baïda, Samra, Un Autre Soleil, and Mundial Corrida. He also made a famous live album called 1,2,3 Soleils with other well-known singers, Khaled and Rachid Taha.

About Faudel's Life

Early Years and Music Beginnings

Faudel was born in Mantes-la-Jolie, a town near Paris, France. His parents were immigrants from Algeria. He grew up in the Val Fourré neighborhood.

Faudel's grandmother, Amaria, introduced him to Algerian Raï music. She often performed traditional folk Raï at weddings in Oran, Algeria. During summer holidays in Algeria, Amaria taught Faudel many traditional Raï rhythms.

Faudel first sang in public at a family wedding in Oran. When he was 12, he started singing popular songs by Cheb Khaled and Cheb Mami. Soon after, he became the lead singer of a band called Les Etoiles du Raï (The Rai Stars). Faudel and his band became very popular at youth clubs in Mantes-la-Jolie. He then performed in clubs around Paris, singing covers of famous Raï songs.

Becoming a Professional Singer

A big moment in Faudel's early career happened when he was 13. Mohamed Mestar, also known as Momo, discovered him at the Printemps de Bourges festival. Momo was a former guitarist who helped new local artists. He offered to manage Faudel's career.

With Momo's help, Faudel started creating his own songs. He also performed with other artists, including Cheb Mami and MC Solaar. Faudel studied accountancy and metallurgy, but his love for Raï music led him to become a professional singer.

Faudel's first album, Baïda, came out in 1997. The next year, he was invited to sing with Khaled and Rachid Taha. This concert, called 1, 2, 3 Soleils, made him very famous in France and Algeria. He also acted in a few movies, like Happenstance with Audrey Tautou.

Even as a teenager, Faudel became a new voice for Raï music. In 1995, two French TV shows were made about him. These shows, Saga cités and Les Enfants du Rai, showed his rising popularity. The next year, he represented his region at the Printemps de Bourges Festival. His performance there made him even more popular.

Faudel started new concert tours, and Momo worked to get him a record deal. In 1996, they went to New York to record demo songs. After his great performance at Printemps de Bourges, the record label Mercury signed Faudel. His unique sound mixes traditional Amazigh Raï rhythms with new guitar styles, reggae, Afro-beat, and flamenco.

After signing with Mercury to make five albums, Faudel left school. He then went on a big concert tour across France and Europe. During this tour, he performed with famous Raï stars like Khaled and Cheb Mami. Faudel's music was also used in the movie Elle est Belle la Vie.

The Baïda Album

Faudel quickly became popular with French journalists and music critics. They called him "The Little Prince of Raï." He went into the studio to record his first album, Baïda (meaning Blonde). It was released in October 1997.

Baïda mixed a modern Raï style with meaningful lyrics. Faudel's songs talked about many things, from broken hearts to the challenges faced by young French people of Algerian descent. The first song from the album, "Tellement N'brick" (I Love You So Much), became a huge hit on radio.

Because of the success of "Tellement N'brick", Baïda was nominated for an award at the Victoires de la Musique in February 1998. Faudel was invited to perform at the Printemps de Bourges Festival again in April.

After his first album, Faudel performed many concerts across the country. On September 26, he sang with Khaled and Rachid Taha at the Bercy stadium in Paris. About 15,000 fans came to see them. The live album from this concert, 1.2.3. Soleils, was a huge success. The three Raï singers were invited to many top TV shows.

In 1997, his music video for "Tellement Je T'aime" featured Olga Kurylenko, who later became a famous model and actress.

In early 1999, the popular trio released a new song. It was an Arabic version of the French classic "Comme d'habitude" (like "My Way"). They had performed it at their Bercy concert, and it became very popular. On February 20, 1999, they performed the song at the Victoires de la Musique awards. That night, Faudel won the award for Best Newcomer of the Year, chosen by TV viewers. After this win, Faudel performed two amazing concerts at the Olympia in March.

In the summer of 1999, Faudel went on a short tour in Tunisia. He performed six concerts, which ended his big "Faudel Tour" on a high note. Faudel's career continued to grow, attracting many new fans to his modern Raï sound. His songs are important because they share the hopes and challenges of young French-Algerians growing up in Paris today.

The Samra Album

In the summer of 2000, Faudel performed at the Summer Stage Festival in New York. He also started working on his next album, Samra. This album had 6 French songs and 7 Arabic songs. The album booklet included the lyrics in both French and Arabic.

The songs were created by Nabil Khalidi and Goh Hotoda, and produced by Mohamed Mestar. Samra stayed true to Raï music but also added new electronic sounds and Arabic pop styles. It even had some Latin influences, especially in the song "Salsa raï," which he sang with Yuri Buenaventura. In this album, Faudel focused more on love songs than on social topics, except for one song about Mantes-la-Jolie, where he grew up. Samra was released in February 2001 and became popular in France, Belgium, and Switzerland.

Later Albums: Un Autre Soleil and Mundial Corrida

In 2003, Faudel went back to the studio to record a new album. On September 2, 2003, he released Un Autre Soleil. This album showed his growth as an artist. His record company wanted an all-Arabic album, but Faudel also included songs in French.

He worked with songwriter Patrick Dupond and wrote very personal lyrics. For example, the song "Petit Etre" was about his newborn son. Marion Michau wrote "Je Veux Vivre," the first song played on French radio from the album. Other bands like Zebda and Zen Zila also helped with the record. With its strong Mediterranean feel, the album helped Faudel reach an even wider audience.

Faudel then worked on his fourth album, Mundial Corrida, which was released in September 2006. On Mundial Corrida, Faudel celebrated his French and Algerian heritage. He showed his connection to both cultures in "Mon Pays," the first song released from the album. French singer and composer Pascal Obispo also wrote several songs for the album.

Recent Music

In 2017, Faudel recorded a song called "Rani" with Mohammed Assaf, who won Arab Idol in 2013. The song was in both Arabic and French.

Another song, "All Day, All Night", which he recorded with RedOne, came out on April 26, 2018. In 2019, he released a new song called "Mon Dieu." In 2020, he released two more songs, "Histoire Chaba" and "Smile."

Faudel's Acting Career

Besides singing, Faudel also became an actor. He appeared in the French film Battement d’ailes du papillon. After that, he looked for other acting roles that would help him become a big movie star.

He also acted in a TV series called Sami. In the show, he played a student from Tunisia who worked as a supervisor in a French high school.

In 2004, Faudel returned to the big screen in Merzak Allouache's film Bab el web. He starred alongside Samy Naceri and Julie Gayet. He played a young man from a neighborhood in Algiers, Algeria.

Faudel's Family Life

Faudel has French, Moroccan, and Algerian nationalities. In February 2002, his partner gave birth to their son, Enzy.

Faudel's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Live Albums

Compilation Albums

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Faudel para niños