List of Kabyle people

This is a list of Kabyle people.

Cinema

Isabelle Adjani (born 1955), actress and singer (half German)
Karim Aïnouz (born 1966), film director and visual artist (half Brazilian)
Ahmed Ayad (1921–1999), comedy actor and singer
Ramzy Bedia (born 1972), actor, screenwriter and film director (half)
Dany Boon (born 1966), actor, film director, screenwriter and producer (half French)
Ali Dilem (born 1967), cartoonist
Habiba Djahnine (born 1968), film producer, writer and essayist
Fellag (born 1950), comedian, writer, humorist and actor
Tony Gatlif (born 1948), film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and composer
Mohamed Hilmi (1931–2022), actor and director
Jalil Lespert (born 1976), actor, screenwriter and director
Marie-José Nat (1940–2019), actress (half French)
Daniel Prévost (born 1939), actor, comedian and writer (half French)
Fatima Sissani (born 1970), documentary filmmaker
Jacques Villeret (1951–2005), actor (half French)
Fatma Zohra Zamoum (born 1967), filmmaker, writer and educator
Claude Zidi (born 1934), film director and screenwriter (half French)
Malik Zidi (born 1975), film, television and theatre actor (half French)^[1]

Artists

Baya (1931–1998), surrealist, primitive, naïve and modern painter and ceramist
M'hamed Issiakhem (1928–1985), one of the founders of the modern Algerian painting
Hamid Tibouchi (born 1951), painter and poet
Rezki Zerarti (1938–2024), cubist painter
Hocine Ziani (born 1953), painter and artist in plastic arts

Leaders and politicians

Modern

Ahmed Ait Mokran (died 1596), Amokrane of the Ait Abbas (1559–1596)
Boumezrag Ait Mokran (c. 1836–1905), last Amokrane of the Ait Abbas and caid of the Ouennougha, leader of the Mokrani Revolt
Naceur Ait Mokran (died 1600), Amokrane of the Ait Abbas (1596–1600)
Cheikh Mokrani (1815–1871), Amokrane, Caliph of the Medjana (1831–1838) and leader of the Mokrani Revolt
Abdelaziz Ou Abbas (died 1559), Amokrane of the Ait Abbas (1510–1559)
Ahmed Ou Lqadi (c. 1480–1527), Agellid of Kuku and Algiers

Comtemporary

Ferhat Abbas (1899–1985), politician and former President of Algeria
Ali Yahia Abdennour (1921–2021), politician, lawyer and human rights activist
Belaid Abdessalam (1928–2020), politician, Prime Minister of Algeria (1992–1993)
Belaïd Abrika (born 1969), leader and spokesperson of the Arouch Movement, professor
Hocine Aït Ahmed (1926–2015), politician and former rebel, founder of the FFS and lawyer
Bouaziz Ait Chebib (born 1973), Kabyle nationalist politician, 4th president of the MAK (2011–2016), founder of the URK and the AKAL
Fadela Amara (born 1964), French politician and feminist
Mohand Arav Bessaoud (1924–2002), Berberist politician, writer, activist and soldier of the ALN, co-foundef of the Berber Academy
Ahmed Boumendjel (1908–1982), politician and lawyer
Houari Boumédiène (1932–1978), Pan-Arabist politician, 2nd President of Algeria
Malek Boutih (born 1964), French politician and activist
Lyès Deriche (1928–2001), politician and revolutionary
Abderrahmane Farès (1911–1991), Chairman of the Provisional Executive of Algeria (1962)
Lydia Guirous (born 1984), politician, spokesperson of The Republicans (2015–2016 and 2017–2019)
Sadek Hadjeres (1928–2022), politician, founder and chairman (1966–1990) of the Algerian Communist Party
Smail Hamdani (1930–2017), politician, Prime Minister of Algeria (1998–1999)
Aïssat Idir (1915–1959), syndicalist and founder of the UGTA
Hadja Lahbib (born 1970), Belgian politician, journalist, television presenter and director
Ramtane Lamamra (born 1952), diplomat and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2021–2023)
Belkacem Lounes (born 1955), politician, economist, activist and President of the World Amazigh Congress (2002–2011)
Ali André Mécili (born 1940), French-Algerian politician and lawyer, assassinated in 1987
Mohamed Mediène (born 1936), Algerian intelligence office, forger head of the DRS
Ferhat Mehenni (born 1951), Kabyle nationalist politician, singer, writer, secularist, founder of the MAK and President of the Kabyle Government in Exile
Kasdi Merbah (1938–1993), politician, 4th Prime Minister of Algeria, member of the Oujda Group, assassinated in 1993
Mouloud Kacem Naît Belkacem (1927–1992), Pan-Arabist politician, philosopher, historian and writer
Laurette Onkelinx (born 1958), Belgian politician from the Francophone Socialist Party, Prime Minister, Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health
Karim Ouchikh (born 1965), French politician, vice-president of the National Council of European Resistance and co-founder of SIEL
Ahmed Ouyahia (born 1952), politician, 10th Prime Minister of Algeria (1996–1998 and 2003–2006) and secretary general of the RND (1999–2003)
Belkacem Radjef (1909–1989), politician and militant for the independence of Algeria
Abane Ramdane (1920–1957), politician activist and revolutionary, assassinated in 1957
Saïd Sadi (born 1947), Berberist politician, founder and president of the RCD (1989–2012)
Mohand Cherif Sahli (1906–1989), ambassador of Algeria, historian and writer
Abdelmadjid Sidi Said (born 1949), politician, President of the UGTA
Hocine Zehouane (1935–2025), politician, human rights activist and president of the Algerian League for Human Rights (2005–2007)

Literature

Arezki Aït-Larbi (born 1955), journalist and human rights activist
Fadhma Aït Mansour (c. 1882–1967), poet and folksinger, mother of Jean and Taos Amrouche
Jean Amrouche (1906–1962), writer, poet and journalist, he converted to Roman Catholicism
Taos Amrouche (1913–1976), writer and singer, first Kabyle woman to publish a novel, co-founder of the Berber Academy
Rachid Arhab (born 1955), journalist and member of the CSA
Ahmed Azeggagh (1942–2003), poet, novelist and journalist
Mohammed Benchicou (born 1952), director and publisher of the newspaper Le Matin
Boulifa (c. 1865–1931), Berberologist and precursor of Berberism
Salem Chaker (born 1950), Berberologist recognized as the "dean" of modern Berber studies
Aziz Chouaki (born 1951), writer and playwright
Tahar Djaout (1954–1993), journalist, poet and fiction writer, assassinated by the Armed Islamic Group in 1993
Nabile Farès (1940–2016), novelist
Mouloud Feraoun (1913–1962), writer and martyr of the Algerian revolution, assassinated by the OAS
Salima Ghezali (born 1958), journalist and writer
Malek Haddad (1927–1978), poet and writer and former Algerian Council of the Nation member (2016–2018)
Louisette Ighilahriz (born 1936), writer and former
Mouloud Mammeri (1917–1989), writer, anthropologist and linguist
Saïd Mekbel (1940–1994), journalist and satirist, assassinated in 1994
Arezki Metref (born 1952), writer, poet and journalist
Rachid Mimouni (1945–1995), writer, teacher and human rights activist
Si Mohand (c. 1848–1905), poet known as the "Kabyle Verlaine"
Salem Zenia (born 1962), writer, journalist and poet
Alice Zeniter (born 1986), novelist, translator, scriptwriter, dramatist and director (half French)
Youcef Zirem (born 1964), writer, activist and journalist

Military

Cheikh Aheddad (1790–1873), prominent leader in the Mokrani Revolt and chief of the Rahmaniyya brotherhood
Amirouche Aït Hamouda (1926–1959), military leader and revolutionary during the Algerian War
Safiyy al-Dawla, Kutama Fatimid Governor of Aleppo (1022–1023)
Krim Belkacem (1922–1970), historical leader of National Liberation Front (Algeria), assassinated in 1970
Mourad Didouche (1927–1955), revolutionary, political and militant figure of the Algerian War
Raïs Hamidou (1770–1815), Barbary pirate and corsair and Admiral in Ottoman Algeria
Ahmed Mahsas (1923–2013), fighter in the Algerian nationalist movement and member of the Special Organisation
Lalla Fatma N'Soumer (c. 1830–1863), Igawawen member who led western Kabylia, in battle against French troops
Al-Hasan ou Ahmad, Kutama Fatimid Governor of Sicily and kairouan (909–914), Da'i (902–914), Commander of the army (902–914) and navy (909–914)
Ja'far ou Fallah (died 971), Kutama Fatimid military commander and governor
Ali ou Ja'far, Kutama Fatimid military commander and governor (1000–1021) and son of Ja'far
Mohand ou Zamoum (1795–1843), marabout who participated in the Kabyle resistance during the French conquest of Algeria
Omar ou Zamoum (1836–1898), marabout who participated in the Mokrani Revolt
Saïd Mohammedi (1912–1994), Algerian revolutionary soldier and member of the Abwehr during World War Two
Mohamed Saïl (1894–1953), journalist, revolutionary, participated at the Spanish Civil War^[2]

Musicians

Chaabi

Abdelkader Chaou (born 1941), singer-songwriter and mandole player known for his own style of chaabi
El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka (1907–1978), chaabi musician considered as a Grand Master of Andalusian classical music and chaabi^[3]^[4]
Cheikh El Hasnaoui (1910–2002), composer, musician and singer
Amar Ezzahi (1941–2016), singer and mandole player and figurehead of chaabi
Hsissen (1929–1958), composer and singer of chaabi music
Kamel Messaoudi (1961–1998), chaabi singer and instrumentalist
Rachid Taha (1958–2018), singer-songwriter and activist (half)
Mustapha Toumi (1937–2013), songwriter, composer, lyricist, composer, poet and painter

Classical

Mohamed Iguerbouchène (1907–1966), composer, musician and musicologist

Kabyle

Abderrahmane Abdelli (born 1958), author, composer and singer
Amour Abdenour (born 1952), singer, songwriter, composer
Lounis Ait Menguellet (born 1950), singer and poet
Farid Ali (1919–1981), singer and composer
Slimane Azem (1918–1983), singer and poet
Chérifa (1926–2014), singer-songwriter
Malika Domrane (born 1956), singer and militant for women's rights and the Berber cultural identity
Idir (1945–2020), singer-songwriter, record producer and musician referred to as the "King of Amazigh music"^[5]
Lounès Matoub (1956–1998), singer, songwriter, poet, secularist and activist for the Amazigh cause assassinated in 1998^[6]
Akli Yahiatene singer and composer

Others

Alain Bashung (1947–2009), singer, songwriter, actor (half French)
Baaziz (born 1963), singer and songwriter
Étienne Daho (born 1956), singer-songwriter (half Spanish pieds-noirs)
DJ Snake (born 1986), record producer, disc jockey and songwriter (half French)
Kenza Farah (born 1986), singer, songwriter, rapper
Juliette (born 1962), singer, songwriter, composer
Lacrim (born 1985), French rapper (half)
Souad Massi (born 1972), singer, songwriter and guitarist^[7]
Marcel Mouloudji (1922–1994), singer, actor and writer (half French)
Rim'K (born 1978), French rapper
Sinik (born 1980), French rapper (half French)
Sofiane (born 1986), French rapper known as "Fianso"
Soolking (born 1989), singer and rapper
Takfarinas (born 1958), yal and raï singer, songwriter and musician

Philosophers and humanists

Mohammed Arkoun (1928–2010), scholar and thinker

Religion

Sidi M'hamed Bou Qobrine (died 1793/1794), Muslim scholar, Sufi saint, founder and Sheikh of the Rahmaniyya

Sciences

Noureddine Melikechi (born 1958), atomic, molecular and optical physicist

Social scientists

Abdelmalek Sayad (1933–1998), sociologist, first as an assistant to Pierre Bourdieu, research director at the CNRS
Tassadit Yacine (born 1949), anthropologist specialised in Berber culture

Sports

Samir Aït Saïd (born 1989), artistic gymnast, 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships bronze medalist 2013 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships champion

Martial arts

Larbi Benboudaoud (born 1974), World (1999) and European champion (1998, 1999)
Abdelhafid Benchabla (born 1986), amateur boxer and current World Series of Boxing Light heavyweight champion
Loucif Hamani (1950–2021), boxer and African chanmpion
Ali Idir (born 1966), judoka, European and World champion
Salim Medjkoune (born 1972), boxer, French champion (1995, 2000), European champion (2001–2002) and super bantamweight World champion (2002–2003)

Football

Djamel Abdoun (born 1986), winger
Salah Assad (born 1958), forward for Algeria and holder of the record of most scored goals at the World Cup with Islam Slimani
Youcef Atal (born 1996), right-back for Algeria and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations champion
Karim Belhocine (born 1978), defensive midfielder and current head coach of JS Kabylie
Abdelhak Benchikha (born 1963), football coach for IR Tanger and former player
Abdelaziz Ben Tifour (1927–1970), midfielder, player for France then the FLN football team
Karim Benzema (born 1987), striker for Real Madrid and France. 2022 UEFA Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or
Mustapha Dahleb (born 1952), midfielder and PSG player
Ali Fergani (born 1952), midfielder
Mohand Chérif Hannachi (1950–2020), central defender and chairman of JS Kabylie (1993–2017)
Hacène Lalmas (1943–2018), midfielder, top scorer of the Algerian championship with 131 goals and 14th best African player of all time
Kylian Mbappé (born 1998), striker for Real Madrid and France. 2018 World Cup champion (half Cameroonian)^[8]
Djamel Menad (1960–2025), forward for Algeria, 1990 African Cup of Nations winner and top scorer and five times Algerian champion with JS Kabylie
Ahmed Oudjani (1937–1998), striker for Algeria and RC Lens
Karim Ziani (born 1982), midfielder for Algeria (half French)
Zinedine Zidane (born 1972), attacking midfielder, 1998 World champion and Ballon d'or winner and Real Madrid coach^[9]

Others

Ali Haddad (born 1965), businessman, co-founder and CEO of the ETRHB (Entreprise des Travaux Routiers, Hydrauliques et Bâtiments)
Issad Rebrab (born 1944), billionaire businessman, CEO of the Cevital Industrial group
Yazid Sabeg (born 1950), businessman, president of the administrative council of high-technology an CEO of CS Communication & Systèmes

References

↑ McLeod, George (2022). "Race and Terrorism in French Cinema: Discourses of Whiteness and "Brown Threat" in Nicolas Boukhrief's Made in France". Bulletin of Francophone Postcolonial Studies: 13. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
↑ The Strange Stranger.
↑ Kitchell, Liza Parker (1998). The development of Kabyle song during the twentieth century. University of Wisconsin--Madison. p. 52.
↑ Saadallah, Rabah (1981). El-Hadj M'hamed El-Anka: maître et renovateur de la musique "chaabi" (in French). La Maison des Livres. p. 28.
↑ Hadji, Hugo (8 May 2020). "The poetic power of Idir, the artist who took Algerian music to the world". The Conversation.
↑ Slackman, Michael (10 October 2005). "A Slain Berber Singer's Voice Rouses His Hometown". The New York Times.
↑ Spencer, Neil (1 October 2022). "The Guardian".
↑ Gouaillard, Frédéric; Detout, Arnaud; Sévérac, Dominique; Perrin, Laurent (6 October 2021). "Sa famille, l'avenir de son fils, l'argent : les confessions de Fayza Lamari". Le Parisien. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
↑ Hussey, Andrew (4 April 2004). "ZZ top". The Guardian.

[1] McLeod, George (2022). "Race and Terrorism in French Cinema: Discourses of Whiteness and "Brown Threat" in Nicolas Boukhrief's Made in France". Bulletin of Francophone Postcolonial Studies: 13. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

[2] The Strange Stranger.

[3] Kitchell, Liza Parker (1998). The development of Kabyle song during the twentieth century. University of Wisconsin--Madison. p. 52.

[4] Saadallah, Rabah (1981). El-Hadj M'hamed El-Anka: maître et renovateur de la musique "chaabi" (in French). La Maison des Livres. p. 28.

[5] Hadji, Hugo (8 May 2020). "The poetic power of Idir, the artist who took Algerian music to the world". The Conversation.

[6] Slackman, Michael (10 October 2005). "A Slain Berber Singer's Voice Rouses His Hometown". The New York Times.

[7] Spencer, Neil (1 October 2022). "The Guardian".

[8] Gouaillard, Frédéric; Detout, Arnaud; Sévérac, Dominique; Perrin, Laurent (6 October 2021). "Sa famille, l'avenir de son fils, l'argent : les confessions de Fayza Lamari". Le Parisien. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.

[9] Hussey, Andrew (4 April 2004). "ZZ top". The Guardian.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]