Possessing all the assets of the profession, a dancer's body and a voice typical of popular song, he set up on his own and recorded his first album in France in 1967 with covers of hits from Tunisia's heritage. It was his meeting with Hachlef, then head of the "Artistes arabes associés" publishing house in France, and the release of his first hit, "B'jah allah ya hob asmaâni", that catapulted him onto the popular song scene in Tunisia and among the North African community in Europe.

From then on, Habbouba moved on from covering songs to creating his own, enlisting the services of lyricists such as Khouini and other young poets. He took part in the modernisation of popular song by working on lyrics, music and forms of performance.