Houari Benchenet, born on May 25, 1961, in Oran, Algeria, is a singer. He began his musical career in 1975 as a teenager, singing and playing the derbuka while drawing inspiration from artists such as Blaoui Houari and Ahmed Saber. He achieved his first major success in 1977 with the hit "Dalali", recorded with Abdelkader Cassidy. As one of the leading figures of the second generation of modern raï, he helped popularize the genre alongside artists such as Khaled, Cheb Sahraoui, Cheb El-Hindi, and Cheb Hamid. Throughout his career, he wrote and composed much of his own material, creating more than 400 tracks. His notable releases include Dalali (1977), Dik El Ghadara (1989), Arssam Wahran (2001), Ayetni Trig (2010), and Wahran El Bahia (2013). His career gained national recognition after the 1985 Raï Festival in Oran, which introduced his music to a wider Algerian audience through television. Known for his carefully written lyrics and distinctive Oran dialect, he often blended Arabic, French, Spanish, and Berber influences in his songs. Working closely with lyricist Mekki Nouna.
