Cheb Khaled to Echorouk: “I lifted the Egyptian flag for the sake of brotherhood and peace between Muslims and Arabs. My duty as an artist is to spread peace and love between people all around the world”

Algerian international singer of the Rai music Cheb Khaled held a press conference in Cirta Hotel in Constantine, east of Algeria before the performance of a concert at the 17th June Stadium of the city.

• Echorouk asked him about his friend « Cheb Mami » and the possibility of a soon release, he said; « Frankly, i did not visit him in prison. I was not pleased with what happened to him and I was far away from him. He is like my little child even though he insulted me once. Any person can be subjected to that kind of problems even presidents”.
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• As for singing along with the Egyptian singer Mohamed Mounir, Cheb Khaled asserted he was ignorant of the Egyptian attacks on the bus of the Algerian football team in Cairo before the match between both Egyptian and Algerian teams, and that they prevent him from watching TV or going out of the hotel at that moment in order to hide the truth; “My intention was good and that duo with the Egyptian singer will not be the last because it aims to sow love, brotherhood and peace again between the Egyptians and Algerians”.
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• “Mohamed Mounir has had problems. I do not have problems with these people, but the evils are everywhere in order to ruin everything. I remember that someone came to my room in the hotel in order to show me SMS commenting the concert, which were all encouraging the idea. Thanks Allah we were able to realize a work that politics were unable to do. My duty as an artist is to spread peace and love between people all around the world. I will never interfere in politics”, he added.
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• Speaking about Cinema Cheb Khaled said; “I entered this word by curiosity and I prefer the role of a comedian”.
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• “I grew up listening to the Malouf music by Raymond and Hadj Mouhamed Taher Elfarguani, and my dreams are to gather all Algerian music styles from all the regions including Kabylia, Oran, Constantine and Algiers, in order to create a song that could spread love between all people in my country, as well as schedule large concerts like those held in France during the seventies and eighties”.
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• Cheb Khaled also spoke about football; “Resignation of the coach Rabah Saadan was a surprise and a sad event for all of us. I could not understand what is happening. There circumstances which inevitably led to this result. I think it would have been better to keep him with the new coach to take advantage of his long experience in the field. I wish all Algerians everywhere will continue encouraging our team because it is the honor of our nation”.
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• As for his brief appearance in the World Cup opening ceremony in South Africa, Cheb Khaled said; “It is the largest achievements in my career. We should not talk about the performance’s period of time because the participation itself is an amazing event”.
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• Echorouk embarrassed him when asking a question about his absence from the stadium during the matches of Algerian football team, he said; “My wife needed me at that moment that is why I quickly returned home.
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• “I am the only Arab artist who is invited by all world continents, including Australia, Asia and America. My last concert in Las Vegas was successful. I lifted the Egyptian flag for the sake of brotherhood and peace between Muslims and Arabs”.
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• Cheb Khaled answers the question about the new strategy of the French president Sarkozy towards immigrants saying; “Sarkozy is my friend and what is said is completely wrong”.