Takfarinas, born Ḥsen [Hassen] Zermani in Algiers, Algeria in 1958, is a renowned Algerian Kabyle Yal musician. He adopted his stage name from Tacfarinas, an ancient North African warrior who resisted Roman occupation in Algeria. Since 1979, Takfarinas has resided in France, where he has promoted and celebrated Kabyle culture through his music. Known for his wide vocal range, he initially played the 'takfa,' a modified traditional lute-like instrument with two necks, each producing distinct masculine and feminine sounds. This instrument was later replaced by an electric half-drum mandole, which also features two fingerboards and is capable of producing a large concert sound.

Takfarinas comes from a lineage of musicians and demonstrated his innovative spirit at the age of six by crafting a guitar from an oil cylinder and brake cable. Influenced by artists like Chaâbi, M' Hamed El Anka, Sheik El Hasnaoui, and Slimane Azem, he began recording music in Algiers in 1976. His career gained momentum with his first album recorded in France in 1979. In 1981, he co-founded the group Agraw with Boujema Semaouni. His 1986 releases, Wa i telha and Arrach, sold a million copies, and his 1989 double CD, Irgazen and Mi d ih, garnered international acclaim. The 1994 album Yebb'a rremman performed well on European charts, but it was his album Zaâma Zaâma that brought him widespread recognition, particularly for its popular title track.

Takfarinas shifted his musical focus with the album Paix et salut, dedicated to Algerian artists who suffered repression. In 2004, he released Honneur aux dames, his latest album at the time. Throughout his career, Takfarinas has remained a significant figure in world music, celebrated for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of Kabyle culture.