Amar Ezzahi
| Amar Ezzahi | |
|---|---|
 Boudjemaâ El Ankis (left), Amar Ezzahi (right) in 2015. | |
| Born |
Amar Ait-Zaï January 1, 1941 Ain El Hammam, Kabylie, French Algeria |
| Died |
November 30, 2016 (aged 75) Algiers, Algeria |
| Resting place | El Kettar Cemetery |
| Occupation | Singer |
Amar Ezzahi (January 1, 1941 – November 30, 2016) was an Algerian singer and mandola player. He was the figurehead of Chaabi, the traditional music of Algiers.
Early life
Amar Ezzahi was born as Amar Ait-Zaï in Ain El Hammam, a village of Kabylie, French Algeria, on January 1, 1941.[1][2][3] He grew up in the Casbah of Algiers.[2][3] He was orphaned as a child.[1]
Career
Ezzahi was a singer and mandola player.[1] He started recording songs in 1963.[2][3] In 1976, he recorded two albums.[1] He only gave one concert on February 10, 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
Ezzahi died on November 30, 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, on December 1, 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 December 3, 2016 in Paris, France.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Labesse, Patrick (December 2, 2016). "Le chanteur algérien Amar Ezzahi est mort". Le Monde. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Narduzzi, Guillaume (December 1, 2016). "Décès d'Amar Ezzahi, icône de la chanson populaire algéroise". Le Figaro. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Le chanteur algérois Amar Ezzahi s'est éteint". Le Parisien. November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.