Amar Ezzahi |
|---|
![]() Amar Ezzahi in 2015. |
| Born | Amar Ait-Zaï
1 January 1941
|
|---|
| Died | 30 November 2016(2016-11-30) (aged 75)
|
|---|
| Resting place | El Kettar Cemetery |
|---|
| Occupation | Singer |
|---|
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.
Early life
Amar 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
Ezzahi 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
Ezzahi 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
- Zinouba
- Esmaa Nousik Ya Inssan
- EL Haraz
- Sali Trach
- El Djafi
- Yel Meknin Ezzine
- Yal Adra
- Aadrouni yahli
References
