I think that Khaled still lives outside Algeria, because of the past history of death threats made against him by right-wing Islamists, but it has not stopped him performing there. He openly supports peace, tolerance, and personal emancipation (especially for women) and other things that "Sharif don't like...".

Another great Algerian / Berber performer is Idir. I saw him a few years back, a previous unknown to me. There was a huge, screaming, enthusiastic response and support from a young crowd for this quiet-looking bespectacled, singer / guitarist who sat on his stool and rocked the place apart. Here's a YouTube sample: Idir
A lot more "folky" than Khaled, etc - you can see the way North African music has influenced Spanish.

Another beautiful singer is Souad Massi who, like Khaled, has been forced to live away from her country. She is a singer / writer / acoustic guitarist, and her music would be very accessible to many people from Mudcat. I seem to have lost my YouTube link, so can't reference a sample, but do please check her out.

Norman