Cheb Hasni (Hasni Chakroun) Biography: Age, Death, Wife, Son, Songs, Net Worth, Controversy

Cheb Hasni, born as Hasni Chakroun, was an Algerian raï singer known especially for love songs that expressed vulnerability, longing, and heartache.

He gained widespread fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s after the release of songs like “Beraka” (in duet with Chaba Zahouania), which, though controversial in conservative circles, resonated deeply with young listeners across Algeria and the Maghreb.

Profile

• Full name: Hasni Chakroun
• Nickname: Cheb Hasni
• Date of birth: February 1, 1968
• Age: Deceased
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Oran, Algeria
• Nationality: Algerian
• Profession: Singer (raï)
• Parents: Father was a welder; mother was a homemaker
• Siblings: He was one of seven children
• Spouse: Married in 1987 to Zahzouh Malika known as “Melouka”
• Children: One child, named Abdellah, born in 1989
• Relationship status: N/A
• Net worth: approx. $230,000

Early Life and Education

Hasni Chakroun better known as Cheb Hasni was born on February 1, 1968, in Oran, Algeria, in the Gambetta district, into a working-class family. His father worked as a welder and his mother was a homemaker; he had six siblings. As a child he was interested in football; he played for a local club (ASMO) from about age nine. At around age 15 he suffered an injury that kept him in hospital for several weeks, and after this his physical condition changed such that he was unable to return to competitive football. He sang in his neighborhood, walking home from school singing, and first performed publicly at a wedding where a well-known group led by the Naoui brothers was playing; they invited him to sing on stage.

Personal Life

In 1987, when he was 19 years old, Hasni married Zahzouh Malika, also known as “Melouka.” In 1989 they had a son named Abdellah. His wife served as inspiration for several of his songs, for example “Tal Ghyabek ya ghzali” and “El Bayda mon amour.”

Career

Cheb Hasni’s music career began in the mid-1980s. He recorded his first cassette with the label Saint-Crépain in 1986, collaborating with Chaba Zahouania. His duet “Beraka” with Zahouania, released in 1987, was among his breakthrough works; its provocative lyrics stirred both popularity and controversy. Over the next years he released many songs, in cassette format, gaining large popularity among young people for addressing emotional themes, love, separation, social issues. In 1993, he performed in Algiers during an Independence Day event in front of over 150,000 people — one of his last major concerts in Algeria.

Awards

• Won: National Order of Merit in Algeria (posthumously in 2017)

Net worth

Cheb Hasni’s net worth at the time of his death was approximately $230,000.

Death

Cheb Hasni was murdered on September 29, 1994, in Oran, Algeria, outside his parents’ home in the Gambetta neighborhood. Two bullets struck him, one in the throat and another in the head. The killer has never been definitively identified; suspicion has often fallen on Islamist extremist elements in the context of Algeria’s rising conflict with militant groups.

Controversy

Hasni’s lyrics often covered topics considered taboo in conservative Algerian society at the time: love, separation, alcohol, divorce. This made him the target of criticism by religious conservatives. He received death threats during his lifetime due to the content of his music.

Social Media

N/A

Discography

• Barraka (feat Zehwania)
• Ila Ajbek Ezzine
• Issèlou aalik è oomri
• S’hab elbaroud
• Hè bouya, llila mè tefrèchi
• Nbellaa bèbi
• Ma dannitch netfèrkou
• Ssadda nass ellil
• Aadyèni bezzèf (Feat Noria)
• C’est fini aalik yè mehhenti
• Moul el cabaret (Feat Abd Elhakk)
• Netrajja f elhèbib
• Sid elkadi
• Bayda mon amour v1
• Moulèt essag ddrif
• Enroh maak laaziza
• Chchira lli nebriha dima ybènli khyèl’ha
• Adieu l’amour
• Tèlbouni hetta f echchira
• Saadek tzouwwejti
• Aalèch rani maadeb
• Chkoune irabbili weldi
• Èna barkèni, ènas kilouni
• Love me say
• Rah Ben Bella l essaddam (Single)
• J’ai mal au cœur
• Lmossiba kharja m e lycée