Houari Manar, French-born Algerian raï singer, Died at 38

Houari Manar was born Houari El Madani in 1981 in Marseille, amnd died on January 7, 2019.

He was an Algerian raï singer.

He was popular in Algeria as well as the neighbouring Maghreb and Mediterranean countries, and in France.

Although some of his his melodies emphatically implied his homosexuality, Manar never publicly came out as gay, though never denying it, and defended himself from critics, telling Le Monde in 2015, "“My raï is a proper raï. Everything I sing I sing in front of families, of children and old people. I am not one of those people who sing about vulgarities. I am a respected artist.

He died of a heart attack at a private clinic in Sidi Yahia while undergoing liposuction.

Houari Manar passed away at 87 years old.