Singer, derbki and lute player, Simon Halali was born on July 30, 1920 in Annaba, Algeria. Separated from his great love of youth because he was Jewish and she Muslim, he left his native country and moved to Marseille at the age of 15 to look for work. This relationship gave rise to some of his greatest hits, including "Mahani Ezinne", "Fatouma taaz alaya" and "Alach Ya Ghzali ". In 1937, he moved to Paris for the Universal Exhibition, and began singing in flamenco cabarets. He met Bachtarzi Mahieddine, with whom he toured Europe's major cities. his "golden voice" and Andalusian songs made him a success. He broke away from Spanish chanson to return to his roots, while retaining his influence. During the Second World War, he took refuge in the Great Mosque, converted to Islam and took the name Salim. After the war, he set up two cabarets in Paris before moving to Morocco to create Le Coq d'Or. His successes were numerous, and Salim remained the biggest record seller in the Maghreb. After taking a break for a few years, he returned to France and signed with Polydor in 1970, releasing an eponymous album in French, featuring the titles " Si j'avais 20 ans" and "Méditerranéen ". He was the first variety artist to play at the Salle Pleyel, to a full house, and the media hype was too much for him to bear. He breaks his contract to regain his freedom. The artist devotes himself to covers of traditional Moroccan songs (including "Sidi H'bibi " covered by La Mano Negra), Tunisian and Algerian songs. He translates his own songs and continues to compose. He left the stage for good after a final concert in 1994. He moved to a rest home in Antibes and died on June 25, 2005.
