Messaoud Bellemou

Template:Short description Template:Infobox musical artist Messaoud BellemouTemplate:Clarify (Template:Langx) is an Algerian musician and one of the most influential performers of modern raï music. He is considered by some people to be one of the fathers of Modern Raï Music.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Messaoud began his career playing the trumpet but soon became known for adding foreign instruments like the saxophone,<ref name="Censorship"/> violin, and accordion to the genre. He worked during the 1970s with different raï singers of his generation like Boutaïaba Sghir, Boussouar El Maghnaoui, Bouteldja Belkacem.

In 1980s the term pop-raï has been used to describe the new generation of Template:Transliteration and Template:Transliteration (from the Arabic for "young") introducing new instruments,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> and together with Belkacem Bouteldja released one of the first records of the new genre.<ref name="Censorship">Template:Citation</ref>