Deep voice, Ali Amran never ceases to captivate his audience. Author, composer and performer, this self-taught artist has earned his stripes by giving Kabyle song a touch of modernity without stripping it of its DNA.
His compositions are tinged with pop, rock, folk, but keep their Kabyle and North African souls thanks to harmonization. An approach dear to the heart of this artist with a thousand talents.
A harmonization specialist
He is undoubtedly the Kabyle singer who follows the path traced by Idir which is that of modernizing Kabyle music without making it lose its soul.
Ali Amran divides his time between France and Finland where his little family lives. He regularly hosts concerts. “ Last summer I toured North America. I met the Algerian diaspora in Canada and the United States. These are always intensely emotional moments “, confides Ali Amran to TSA.
To become a singer, no one would have bet ten dinars for such a destiny. The guitar broke into the life of Ali Amran who uttered his first cry on May 20, 1969, under the name Ali Koulougli, in Igariden, commune of Maâtkas, in the mountains of Kabylia.
As a child, Ali was lulled by traditional Kabyle songs. As a teenager, he cobbled together a makeshift guitar with a can of oil and sang along to his friends.
Influenced by the Beatles, Dire Straits…
Ali Amran’s life (Amran is his grandfather’s first name) changed at the Amirouche high school in Tizi-Ouzou. “ It was at this time that I discovered Western music. I loved the Beatles. I was lucky to have a score of this group’s songs that I had fun covering! ‘Can’t buy me love’, ‘Yesterday’, ‘Let it be.’… At the same time, I listened to Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Dire Straits, U2, Pink Floyd… All these groups deeply influenced me inspired and influenced. My cassettes also included Idir, Aït Menguellet, the Abranis… “, he says.
The student obtains his baccalaureate in mathematics and enrolls at university for training in civil engineering. “ I quickly threw in the towel, because these studies did not interest me “, he admits.
The following year, the University of Tizi-Ouzou opened the English language department. Ali Amran jumps at the opportunity: “ I enrolled in an English degree in 1989 ».
Alongside his studies, Ali Amran goes on stage whenever an opportunity arises. “I musically accompanied the Meghres theater troupe “, he remembers. And to continue: “ In 1994, I recorded a first cassette, one of the titles of which was Adu (the wind), which hit the charts on the Local Rock show on national radio Channel III. »
With his diploma in hand, Ali Amran taught the language of Shakespeare for a few months in a high school in Maâtkas, his hometown. He recorded an album ‘amsebrid’ (Le Routard) in 1998.
« During this period, I sang at the Tizi-Ouzou culture house, the regional theater of Béjaïa, and in several festivals ».
The budding singer resumed his studies by registering for a thesis on Berber civilization at the University of Tizi-Ouzou. “ I didn’t finish this project. The call of music was the strongest. I had to look elsewhere and try to find my way “, he confides.
A doubly committed artist
In 2000, Ali Amran took charge of Paris. He settled in France then in Finland. “ I constantly went back and forth between these two countries. I started my family in Finland. I am the proud father of two boys aged 19 and 21. ».
Solo or accompanied by other musicians, the artist plays in concert cafés and in community halls. In 2007, he hosted the first part of Idir’s concert at the Zénith in Paris.
Ali Amran composes his own music and writes his own lyrics. His musical style takes its roots from his native Kabylia, but is enriched with the rhythm of Western music. The success continues and the circle of his fans is growing both in Algeria and abroad.
In his fifth album released in November 2023, Ali Amrane revisits the songs of Cheikh El Hasnaoui by putting his personal touch.
« In my eyes, El Hasnaoui is the founder of contemporary Kabyle song. In this opus, I kept the soul of this pioneer’s songs by introducing Western harmonic music. This heritage comes to us from far, far away. It is important to preserve it. I apply this approach to all my covers of the Kabyle repertoire “, he explains.
Ali Amran aims to publish a booklet on the basis of harmonization. He is also preparing new songs. “ Some are simmering, others will be recorded soon », he tells us.
As for the future of Kabyle song, the interpreter of “ Tabalizt » thinks that there is great potential among the younger generation, but that the creative side is lacking. “ I see lots of young people who have beautiful voices, but what is missing is depth in the lyrics. We need to work more! “, he advises.
By drawing his sap from ancient traditional Kabyle music which he sprinkles with pop rock and folk sounds, Ali Amran has found the right recipe to attract a multi-generational audience. Her very inspiring texts speak of exile, hope, identity, the condition of women, politics…
An artist doubly committed to the defense of Berber culture and the modernization of Kabyle music, Ali Amran is a sure value who will undoubtedly leave his mark in the registers of Algerian song.
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