French-Algerian rocker Rachid Taha had a rough time with prejudice growing up as an immigrant Arab kid in France, and so it’s almost natural that he brings a mix of politics and punk attitude to his music. LA audiences will get to experience Taha’s rock at the free California Plaza's Grand Performances on Saturday night.

Taha career started with various rock bands in the early ‘80s, tackling subjects of intolerance and xenophobia. His music blends rock, an old North African pop style chaabi and Algerian raï.

Taha won a BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music earlier this year for his CD Rock el Casbah: The Best of. What’s significant was that the award was presented by the publicity shy Luce Strummer, widow of late Clash vocalist Joe Strummer, who saw in Taha that rebelliousness that characterized her husband’s work. (That he wrote “Rock el Casbah,” an Arabic version of the Clash’s tune probably didn’t hurt either.)

-by Christine N. Ziemba