Algerian Berber musician Idir dies at 70

One of the most well-known figures of Indigenous Berber music has died.

Born Hamid Cheriet in 1949 in Ath Yenni, a Berber-speaking region in the central Atlas Mountains of Algeria, his musical prowess began to be recognised by his colleagues in a gas- and oilfield where he worked.

The Algerian musician, known by his stage name Idir, used his songs to address social and political injustices. He was 70 years old when he died.

Al Jazeera’s Laura Burdon-Manley takes a look at his life and career.