Amar Ezzahi (1 January 1941 – 30 November 2016) was an Algerian singer and mandole player. He was the figurehead of Chaabi, the traditional music of Algiers.
Amar Ezzahi | |
|---|---|
 Amar Ezzahi in 2015. | |
| Born | Amar Ait-Zaï 1 January 1941 Ain El Hammam, Tizi Ouzou Province, Algeria |
| Died | 30 November 2016 (aged 75) Algiers, Algeria |
| Resting place | El Kettar Cemetery |
| Occupation | Singer |
Early life
editAmar Ezzahi was born as Amar Ait-Zaï in Ain El Hammam, a village of Kabylie, Algeria, on 1 January 1941.[1][2][3] He grew up in the Casbah of Algiers.[2][3] He was orphaned as a child.[1]
Career
editEzzahi was a singer and mandole player.[1] He started recording songs in 1963.[2][3] In 1976, he recorded two albums.[1] He only gave one concert, on 10 February 1987 in Algiers.[1] Instead, he performed in open spaces like cafes and terraces, mostly during family gatherings.[1] Moreover, he shunned the media and turned down copyright checks.[2] He was the figurehead of Chaabi, the traditional music of Algiers.[2]
Personal life and death
editEzzahi lived an ascetic life: he was not married, and had no children.[2][3]
Ezzahi died on 30 November 2016.[2][3] Upon his death, Azzedine Mihoubi, the Algerian Minister of Culture, visited his house to pay homage to him.[2][3] His funeral was held in a mosque the following day, 1 December, and he was buried in the El Kettar Cemetery.[2][3]
A celebration in honour of Ezzahi, with performances by Abdelkader Chaou and Kamel Aziz, was held at the Arab World Institute on 3 December 2016 in Paris, France.[1]
Some of his songs
edit- Zinouba
- Esmaa Nousik Ya Inssan
- EL Haraz
- Sali Trach
- El Djafi
- Yel Meknin Ezzine
- Yal Adra
- Aadrouni yahli
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Labesse, Patrick (December 2, 2016). "Le chanteur algérien Amar Ezzahi est mort". Le Monde. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Narduzzi, Guillaume (December 1, 2016). "Décès d'Amar Ezzahi, icône de la chanson populaire algéroise". Le Figaro. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Le chanteur algérois Amar Ezzahi s'est éteint". Le Parisien. November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
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