El Chaâbi

History

In the musical field in Algeria, two great kinds cut the share of the lion. The çannaa q' one calls classical music or Andalusian today and Moghrabi (chaâbi).

Chaâbi is born with the beginning from the XXe century with the heart from the kasbah, in Algiers. Chaâbi wants to say "popular" in Arabic. Chaâbi is a music of the small people which conquered the young people of any horizons. The first musicians of Chaâbi are people of partner come to populate the cities. Many is kabyles.

The Masters of this art have as a name "Sheik Nador", "Derwiche", "Said El Hassar" and "El Anka", the genius of this last made of him a creator and an initiator of a new school. Thus Moghrabi becomes Chaâbi.

After the wave of immigration of Maghrebians, come to France, Chaâbi gains Paris Via Marseilles. Dahmane El Harrachi is the tenor of Chaâbi of the Algerians who are far from on their premises.

Dahmane El Harrache sings the exile, the difficulties of the everyday life far from the fatherland, the torments of the love and the nostalgia of the village.

Instruments:

The traditional instruments of this music are : Derbouka, Mandole, Rabāb (rebec), Banjo, Tar, Qanoun and Chant. 

The large Masters of this music name themselves :

El Hadj Mohamed El Anka  (Algiers) :

1907/1978. Born with the kasbah from Algiers, originating in Tizi-Ouzou. Replaced of the Sheik Nador in the Chaâbi music after the death of this last in May 1926, in the animation of the family festivals.

Born in 1927 in Algiers, originating in the village Aît Arhouna. In 1945, Boudjemâa evolves/moves between El Anka and Mrizek the two Masters of the time.

Born in 1938 in El Mouradia (Algiers), it grows in Belcourt between two passions football and the music. After independence it meets Mahboub Bati with which it records ditties.

Born in 1941 in Bab Jdid with the Kasbah from Algiers, it makes its beginnings with the radio where it made its first recording in 1966.