Algerian singer Idir, an icon of Berber and Kabyle culture, has died aged 70.

The artist, whose real name is Hamid Cheriet, was taken to hospital in Paris on Friday but died the following evening with lung disease.

His children confirmed the death with a brief statement on his Facebook page, which said: “We regret to announce the death of our father, Idir, on Saturday, May 2 … Rest in peace dad.”

Originally from Aït Lahcène, near Tizi Ouzou, the second-most populous city in the Kabylie region of northern Algeria, a young Idir did not set out to become an artist. But a performance on Radio Alger in 1973 as a last-minute replacement for the singer Nouara changed everything.

He is best known for his lullaby in Berber, A Vava Inouva, which was inspired by songs that influenced his childhood, and has since been translated into several languages.