2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1:5

2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1 [5 of 6]

Musique Classique Arabe -

Maroc-Libye-Le Caire-Tunisie-Turquie

Alger • Constantine • Tlemcen

Label: Mehradjane RTA Production

Production de la Radiodiffusion Television Algerienne

Disque 5

Side A  [Matrix No - RTA 5 LPL 4817 380]

El Djazairia El Moussilia (Alger) 

Direction Hamidou Djaïdir

Nouba Raml 

M'Cedder - Ya rakbet el Bellar

Derdj - Hadith Gharib

Ensraf - Ya chabih Dhaï el Hilal

Khlass - Ya Mouquabil

Side B  [Matrix No - RTA 5 LPL 4818 380]

Troupe er Rachidia (Tunisie)

Direction Salah el Mahjdi

Extraits de Malouf Tunisien

Here we have the fifth LP with two more legendary musicians. First side is devoted an ensemble led by the popular târ player El Hadj Hamidou Djaïdir who had very long career and accompanied many of the best artists during his lifetime. On the second side of the LP we find Salah El Mahdi, musicologist, chef d'orchestre and composer from Tunisia.

From a TV show in 1959 

From left to right:

El Hadj Hamidou Djaïdir,Târ,

Mahmoud fils de Larbi Bensari, flute

Bachir Zerouki, mandoline

Cheikh Larbi Bensari, rebeb, kwitra & alto.

El Hadj Djaïdir Hamidou

The percussionist El Hadj Djaïdir Hamidou born in Algiers the 26th of January 1923 and died the 14th of May 2004. He joined the music association El Djazairia in 1937, encouraged by his uncle and by his friend and violinist Mustafa Kasdal Abdelkrim Mehamsadji when they were both apprentices to become shoemakers. After a short spell of playing mandolin he took up the darbouka and his first teachers then were Mahieddine Lakehal and AbderRezaq Fakhardji, two monumental figures of the Çan'a Algiers.

From the late thirties and onwards he was a sought after master percussionist that accompanied many of the great' and gained a lot of his popularity when playing with Lili Labassi in the fifties. He held many positions at the Radio Algiers and from 1973 he was the bandleader and permanent member in the orchestra of the cultural and musical association Mezghennaat. 

Salah El Mahdi 

Salah El Mahdi (صالح المهدي) whose real name was Mohamed Salah Ben Abderrahmane Ibn Mehdi Chérifi, born on the 9th of February 1925 in Tunis, he was a musicologist, chef d'orchestre and composer from Tunisia who supposedly also composed the National anthem of Tunisia. I understand that there must be several versions as one is alleged to have been  composed by the Egyptian Zakaria Ahmed and another by a Syrian composer. I do not know which one is referred to. 

Another photo of Salah El Mahdi 

maybe taken closer to the times of these recordings.

More to read about him here in the French Wikipedia.

To enjoy a small video clip where he proves himself to be a good oud player and in command of a rich and sonorous voice I suggest you click here the sound is not fantastic but the music is good.

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2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1:4

2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1 [4 of 6]

Musique Classique Arabe -

Maroc-Libye-Le Caire-Tunisie-Turquie

Alger • Constantine • Tlemcen

Label: Mehradjane RTA Production

Production de la Radiodiffusion Television Algerienne

Disque 4

Side A  [Matrix No - RTA 4 LPL 4815 380]

El Haoua el Djamil 

(Tlemcen) Direction Ahmed Mellouk

Nouba Rasd Eddil

Touchia

M'Cedder - Châârek min djanah eddhalam

Ensraf - Kad Dharrani el Haoua

Khlass - Lakaytouha fi ettawafi tassaâ

Side B  [Matrix No - RTA 4 LPL 4816 380]

Ensemble de Blida 

Direction El Hadj Medjber 

- chanteurs Mohamed Benguergoura, Dahmane Ben Achour

Mohamed Benguergoura

Betaïhi Ghrib - Amla Kououss el Khilaâ

Dahmane Ben Achour

Istikhbar Zidane 

Derdj raml - Lach Toufakir

Ensraf - Bi abi man zara Laylan

We have at last reached the fourth LP and to me this record is the best in the box and mostly really because of the B-side! The ensemble El Haoua el Djamil led by Ahmed Mellouk on the A side with the Nouba Rasd Eddil a beautiful piece of music and is evidently very good. It is a beautiful rendition that stands on its on merits but for me the flip side gets much more playtime.

This fourth disc from the box, is the one where Mohamed Benguergoura and Dahmane Ben Achour accompanied by the Ensemble de Blida under the direction of El Hadj Medjber appears in all subtle splendor! Mohammed Benguergoura is one of the old masters, father of the maybe ironically better remembered son Mustapha Benguergoura also a very good musician but not of the same stature. I would like more information about him and if anyone knows of any other recordings with him please let me know. It is a short but beautiful piece and in one short passage you can also here them singing the refrain in unison! I could listen for hours to his wonderful voice. But it gets even better, the next track on the B-side, and also the longer one, has Dahmane Ben Achour singing in full splendour! His torn yet smooth voice soothing and hovering with a withheld glow but with a constant passion that can draw flames from totally consumed cinders, it always moves me deeply and kindles my flame for hopeless passion. "The only true and pure love is the unrequited love. the only true believer is he that is of continued faith without any hard proof". The Sufi sentiments of loosing oneself submersed in love, runs deep in these musical passages.

Ahmed Mellouk

Sheikh Ahmed Mellouk was born the 3rd of August in 1931, in the densely populated neighborhood of El Qorrane in the old medina of Tlemcen. At nine years he was already an orphan, and from a young age, he learned to play the "fhel" (a kind of flute) and the"guimbri "(a stringed instrument made of a turtle shell) which he played brilliantly. At 12, he sang beautifully and mastered all sorts of other musical instruments. In 1959 he founded the association "El Hawa el Jamil", so named with a reference to a Qacida composed to him by Dr. Mohamed El Cherrak Ghosli that he adopted as prelude music but probably also from the name of the neighbourhood were the old radio station in Tlemcen that he frequented regularly for "live recordings"were located.

He participated in many festivals, and obtained several remarkable prices, particularly in Algiers where he received first prize at the International Music Festival "Sana" in 1967. He was so much more than a conductor, Sheikh Ahmed Mellouk was actually a man of many hats in his orchestra, combining the various titles of singer (moutrib), "Lombard" (zernadji), lyricist (cha'ir), composer (moulahine) luthier (maker of musical instruments), muezzin (mouadhine) ... Something that also shows in his family which in itself almost have the full setting of an orchestra, through his sons Nasreddine (mandolin), Talib (mandolin), Abderrahim (violin), Abdelouahab (banjo), Sid Ahmed (keyboard and zorna) and through his two brothers Mohamed (nayati) and Habib (lute) in addition to his grand-son Imad (percussion) ... 

He was the victim of a bomb in 1997 but as inforrmation about him is very hard to find it is virtually impossible for me to find out if he survived or passed away. Very few traces are left of him even though he is mentioned with great respect whenever he is mentioned.

 (my searches reveal nothing, maybe you can help)

El Hadj Medjber (Blida N.D?)

Mohamed Benguergoura (to the right, sitting)

Dahmane Ben Achour (to the left sitting with the Oud) 

It is really hard to find any information about Mohamed Benguergoura. 

All I know, is that his son Mustapha Benguergoura and his grandson (no name?) 

and grandgrandson Sid-ali who plays the violin, all are playing Hawzi, Malouf and Saana in Blida. 

Dahmane Ben Achour (1912 -1976)

Dahmane Ben Achour musician and singer whose real name was Achour Abderrahmane, born on the 11th of march 1912 in Ouled Yaïch (Blida). Having lived a long part of his life in Alger he died in 15th of September 1976 back in Blida , after an astounding career as a well renowned singer, having started out as with his father as a barber occationally singing for weddings, he gradually rose to fame and became professional. There is more music to be found by him at this blog in a previous post where you can also listen to a live version of Noubat Elh'sine, one of the pieces that together with the Noubat Ezzidane: Ellouzou Fatheh are some of his very best! It does not have all the intensity of Ellouzou Fatheh but it will give you an idea. His rhythmically unbound pieces are my favourite, but it does not matter much what he sings, as he always touches me and makes me feel, that at least I did not waste my life totally, I got to listen to Dahmane Ben Achour, who originally worked as a barber, but rightly became a celebrated singer with his own weekly concert slot on the young Algerian TV!

If you like to compare the singing styles of Mohammed Benguergoura and Dahmane Ben Achour you can listen to a very good clip of the very same song that appears on this record, the "Amlâ ku’ûs al-khilâ‘a" but this time sung instead by Dahmane Ben Achour! Listen here

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2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1:3

2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1 [3 of 6]

Musique Classique Arabe -

Maroc-Libye-Le Caire-Tunisie-Turquie

Alger • Constantine • Tlemcen

Label: Mehradjane RTA Production

Production de la Radiodiffusion Television Algerienne

Disque 3

Side A  [Matrix No - RTA 3 LPL 4813 380]

El Fenn Ouel Adeb (Alger) 

(Direction Mustapha Boutriche)

Nouba Rasd eddil

M'Cedder - El Djamal fattane

Ensraf - Billah ya nassim essaba

Khlass - Niranou Kalbi 

Side B  [Matrix No - RTA 3 LPL 4814 380]

Ensemble Annaba  

(Direction Hassan el Annabi)

Nouba Raml

We continue with some more of the good! Here comes the third disc from the box!

The A side with the Nouba Rasd Eddil is conducted by Mustapha Boutriche who later became a professor of Andalusian music at the Conservatory of Algiers, led the ensemble El Fenn Ouel Adeb that he cofounded with Hassen Benchoubane, until his death in the early 2000 was superseeded by his brother Mohamed Boutrich also he a professor of Andalusian music at the Conservatory of Algiers who passed away in the month of May now almost two years ago. 

Especially listen to the B-side with Hassan el Annabi (real name Hassan Aouchel) who later also had a festival named after him in Annaba!

Hassan el Annabi (Hassan Aouchel)

Hassan el Annabi musician and singer born November 20, 1925 in El Kseur (Bejaia) he became interested in Malouf at the age of 14. In 1958 his first album appeared and marked the true beginning of his popularity and fame with songs like Fatima Bani Rouhier Louerchan Jesmer and Fana. Hassan el Annabi was a great artist whose gifts have not only defined Malouf in Annaba but also inspired the inclusion of Arabo-Andalusian music the performing arts of theatre companies notably of the works by late Mahieddine Bachtarzi himself also a great master of Andalusian music and playwright. A festival of Malouf is still held yearly in Annaba in his name.

Listen to a very good clip here

and another one equally good one here:

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2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1:2

2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1 [2 of 6]

Musique Classique Arabe -
Maroc-Libye-Le Caire-Tunisie-Turquie
Alger • Constantine • Tlemcen

Label: Mehradjane RTA Production
Production de la Radiodiffusion Television Algerienne




Disque 2





Side A [Matrix No - RTA 2 LPL 4811 380] 

El Moutriba el Mouwahidia de Nedroma
(Direction et Chant Mohamed el Ghafour)

Nouba Maya

M'Cedder - Idha naftakar
Khlass - Bil ouadjib ya aïni

Union des amateurs du Malouf de Annaba
(Direction Mohamed Cherif Bennani dit Hamdi)

Nouba Raml Maya

Bachraf - Hssine
M'Cedder - Raïtou erriyadh
Khlass - Rabbi ya Moudjib Abdou



Side B [Matrix No - RTA 2 LPL 4812 380]


Ensemble d'Alger
(Direction Abderrazak Fekhardji - Chanteur Mohamed Khaznadji)



Nouba Zidane

M'Cedder - Tahya bikoum
Derdj - El Haoua dhel el oussoud
Ensraf - Ya ghayat el Maq soud
Khlass - Ama tattaki Allah




More of the good! Here comes the second disc from the box!

On the A-side you will find a very good singer by the name Mohamed el Ghafour, as well as some fairly early recordings of this Annaba director, violinist and singer Mohamed Cherif Bennani here in his mid twenties leading an orchestra of amateurs.

The B-side is still better with the rich melodious voice of Mohamed Khaznadji interpreting the Nouba Zidane.

Mohamed el Ghafour 

Mohamed el Ghafour was born the 5th of March, in 1930, in the village Nedroma close to Tlemcen. He started singing professionally in 1948 and became very popular but stopped singing because of the hardships after Algeria's independence from France and it was not until the late sixties when  this festival of Arabo-Andalusian music was first being held in 1966 that he took up singing again. The year of recording this piece he and his group won a price for their participation and he continued to perform at all the following festivals gaining popularity as an undisputed master of Hawzi and Arabo-Andaluse music.

Hamdi Bennani

Mohamed Cherif Bennani (called Hamdi) was born the 1st of January in 1943 in Annaba. His uncle was the great master musician M'hamed El Kourd. He started singing at the age of 16 and was recognised by a larger audience in 1963 when he made a remarkable interpretation of a song named Ya Bahi El Djamel. Easily recognisable on stage even from a distance as he never leaves his white violin that gave him his nickname "the white angel" (l’ange blanc). He continues to be an important figure in the Arabo-Andaluse music scene today.

Mohamed Khaznadji

Mohamed Khaznadji was born the 11th of July in 1929 in Alger, his father had a shop selling musical instruments that influenced him early on to devote himself to music and early on he also studied Quran recitation.  During his very long career among may things he was the host of a program on Radio Algiers for a while,  later on he was appointed professor at the Music Conservatory of Algiers and  has cut a large number of records. Here I should say he is still in his prime and I prefer his recordings around the late sixties early seventies when his voice is at its richest and fully mature.







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2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 - 1:1

2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 
Volume 1 [1 of 6]



Musique Classique Arabe - 
Maroc-Libye-Le Caire-Tunisie-Turquie
Alger • Constantine • Tlemcen


Label: Mehradjane RTA Production - N.D.
Production de la Radiodiffusion Television Algerienne

Disque 1  [Matrix No - RTA 1 LPL 4809 380] &  [Matrix No - RTA 1 LPL 4810 380]









Side A - [Matrix No - RTA 1 LPL 4809 380]

El Mostakbal - El fenni el Ksentini (Direction - Kaddour Darsouni)

Nouba Maya 

M'Cedder - Layali essourour
Ensraf - Ya nadim ellaylou oualla
Ensraf - Taba essabouh
Khlass - Sabba el bakhaniss


Side B - [Matrix No - RTA 1 LPL 4810 380]

Orchestre National de Radio Libye (Direction Hassen el Aribi)

Nouba Malouf




So on with the posts! This is the first LP I post from this box of six LP's, and the other five will follow in the coming days. Any more information that I manage to find out about these concerts I will add to the discographic post here. There was a previous record posted from the third festival held in 1972 here, and I will also, when I have all the photos ready, post three more LP's from that festival! I will also try to update the discographic record to list the contents of all records for all the festivals but this I do not think I can do without your helping guidance! So please join this quest to finally have some order in this world at least for North Africa... Hmm, maybe too big, how about at least as far as this festival is concerned... Is that too much to ask?








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2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1 [1-6]

2ème Festival Algerien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 Volume 1 [1-6]


Musique Classique Arabe - 
Maroc-Libye-Le Caire-Tunisie-Turquie
Alger • Constantine • Tlemcen


Label: Mehradjane RTA Production 
Production de la Radiodiffusion Television Algerienne

Disque 1 A-side [RTA 1 LPL 4809 380] B-side [RTA 1 LPL 4810 380]
Disque 2 A-side [RTA 2 LPL 4811 380] B-side [RTA 2 LPL 4812 380]
Disque 3 A-side [RTA 3 LPL 4813 380] B-side [RTA 3 LPL 4814 380]
Disque 4 A-side [RTA 4 LPL 4815 380] B-side [RTA 4 LPL 4816 380]
Disque 5 A-side [RTA 5 LPL 4817 380] B-side [RTA 5 LPL 4818 380]
Disque 6 A-side [RTA 6 LPL 4819 380] B-side [RTA 6 LPL 4820 D1 380]

Listed above are the matrix numbers as they read in the black vinyl surrounding the labels, there are no catalogue numbers or other distinguishing number than the disque 1, etc.. printed on the label and the circled number 1-6 on the sleeves.

The LP-box pictured above contains six LP's that is half of the LP's issued from the concerts held at the festival, anyone holding volume 2 [7-12] is hereby most encouraged to step forward and share with us this assumedly equally precious collection of Arabo-Andalusian music.  I will in the following days posts all the above listed LP's as individual posts and this post contains only the discographic information.

Indeed any other discographic info concerning the documentation of this festival or any of the others (see this post for one of the records from the third festival held in 1972) are most welcome. I owe this information as well as the opportunity to digitise and document these records to my good friend "The Mine of Vinyl". He is a veritable "Saluki hound" for finding rare and obsolete vinyl. I am sure, as the saluki is considered clean, also according to Islamic faith, that there is no coincidence that it was he, who found this precious box of Arabo-Andalusian gems in a thrift shop run by the local Salvation Army here. In itself a good story of record hunting. Thank you once again my noble "Saluki Vinyl Hound"...

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar - Carnatic Classical Vocal in Telugu & Sanskrit

Chembai Vaidyanata Bhagavatar - Carnatic Classical Vocal - in Telugu & Sanskrit

EMI Columbia - S/33ESX 6027 - P.1969

Side A

A1 Rakshamam — Gambeeranaatai 5'44

A2 Bantureethi — Hamsanadham 4'08

A3 Manavyala — Nalinakanthi 4'16

A4 Enthavetukondu — Saraswathi Manohari 7'01

Continuos tracks as on the LP, total time 21'10

Side B

B1 Manasayetulo — Malayamarutham 8'36

B2 Ramaniyada — Karaharapriya 12'27

B3 Narayaneeyam — Slokam 1'27

Continuos tracks as on the LP, total time 22'55

Here is some more great singing by Chembai who came from a family that was in the musical tradition for more than 500 years. Born in 1895 and performing for the first time already 1904 when he was only nine years old. By 1920 he was one of the top singers and T. Chowdiah the famous violinist adored him and for a long time they were a great combination together. When he was at his peak he was considered one of the three pillars of Carnatic Music along with Ariyakkudi T. Ramanuja Iyengar and Maharajapuram R. Visvanatha Iyer.

In 1932 he cut his first disc for Columbia and went on to record a great many "plates" for them, also this LP is on that same label. He was said live very frugal and to have been very generous spending most of his earnings supporting the temple of Guruvayurappan after a wow he had taken when an ayruvedic doctor had restored his voice there. Many were the musicians who got their first break with him and among the ones he helped along the way was two mridangam players first Phalgat Mani Iyer and later Palani Subramania Pillai both went on to become very famous. The latter may very well have been saved by Chembai as he was left handed and had a very hard time getting concert engagements because of the traditional placement of the musicians on the stage. Very few violin vidwans would accept to sit on the left side of the stage counted from the audience as neither their bow technique nor their visages would be on a favourable display.

Chembai had indeed a very long career and this record is from his last period when he came back after a longer retreat from recording and poor health only allowed him a few more years to live. He died on October 16, 1974 in Ottappalam where he had given his first temple concert. On the last day of his life too, he gave a superb concert, comprising his favourite songs in the same temple. At the end of this, as he sttod in the sanctum an admirer is said to have remarked that the Bhagavatar should live for 125 years, Chembai turned around and said that it was a matter between him and his Maker and that it had already been decided. Having returned to his place of stay he sat down for his evening prayers and passed away during the meditation. His grieving wife followed him six months later.

(Most of the above info culled from Indira Menon and Sriram V.'s writings on Carnatic Music)

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