Boudjemâa El Ankis (بوجمعة العنقيس), whose real name is Boudjemâa Mohamed Arezki1, born June 17, 1927 in Algiers, in a family originally from Azeffoun in the wilaya of Tizi Ouzou (Algeria) and died September 2, 2015 in Algiers, is an Algerian singer-songwriter of chaabi music. He is the performer, among others, of "Rah El Ghali Rah".

BIOGRAPHY

Childhood

Mohamed Boudjemâa Arezki was born on June 17, 1927 at 1 impasse du Palmier, Bir-Djebbah in the Casbah of Algiers. His family is originally from the village of Ait Arhouna, in the commune of Azeffoun. As a child, living in the Bir Djebbah district of the Casbah, where many chaabi singers lived, the first singer he wanted to imitate was Tino Rossi. Around the age of 10 or 12, he and his family moved to the Notre-Dame d'Afrique district. It was then that he began to play the guitar in Bologhine.

He obtained his primary school certificate in 1939 and began working for his uncle, the owner of a dairy, before joining Sid Ahmed Serri, at the Algiers court registry.

First steps in music

From 1939 to 1945, Mohamed Boudjemaâ, who already dreamed of becoming "El Ankis" (little El Anka), who was also from a village near the young singer's. He tried his hand at the mandolin and then the guitar, while listening to and recording the great masters.

But it was not until 1957 that he began learning Arabic, helped by a paternal uncle. Thanks to the lessons of Chouiter and Mohamed Kébaili, whose troupe worked under the aegis of the PPA in the late 1930s, he would meet artists such as Cheikh Saïd El Meddah. In 1942, the apprentice he was would perform, for the first time in public, on the occasion of a wedding, "Ala Rssoul El Hadi Sali Ya Achiq", a classic poem of the genre.

The melhoun also probably inspired him.

In a troupe created in 1945, Boudjemâa evolved between El Anka and Mrizek, the two sacred monsters of the time. He began with a repertoire of medh, which essentially included the quacidate, "Chouf li Ouyoubek ya Rassi," "Ya Ighafel," "Ya Khalek Lachia," "Zaoubnafi H'inak" and "El Bar," by various poets of the genre.

However, a significant part of El-Ankis' repertoire was transmitted to him at the beginning of the Second World War by Cheikh Said El Meddah. Intoxicated by success, he began to do personal work on musical arrangements and, in the mid-1950s, he launched into songwriting, an experience that was cut short because the Philips publishing house, whose artistic director was Boualem Titiche, refused his works.

Activism

In 1945, he clandestinely did Messalist propaganda at weddings and other celebrations. From 1956 to 1962, he stopped singing as a nationalist act under the orders of the FLN. He was tortured twice by the specialized services of the colonial army, in 1957 and 1960. His release from prison coincided with a return to art. "Djana El Intissar" of which he was the lyricist and composer, evoking the demonstrations of December 11, 1961, is a hymn to independence.

Success

To target Algerian youth, Boudjemaâ El Ankis called on Mahboub Bati and, in 1963, the "war" broke out: instead of the neighborhood chaâbi, Mahboub Bati would put Boudjemaâ El Ankis in the spotlight with new songs written in the Algerian language. The market and the airwaves were bombarded with about sixty hits in the vein of "Tchaourou 'Alia", "Rah El Ghali Rah", "Ah Ya Intiyya". The secret of success: the use of the Algerian popular language, new musical compositions and rhythm.

The niche will be exploited by younger singers such as Amar Ezzahi, El Hachemi Guerouabi, Hassen Saïd and Amar El Achab. Boudjemâa was one of the greatest interpreters of chaâbi of the last century thanks to his very emotional and touching way of singing. Boudjemâa is a great friend of Amar Ezzahi of whom he is the Sheikh (Amimer having been launched by Boudj in the early 1960s), they remained on good terms throughout their careers, with collaborations that remain anchored in the memories of the "Chaâbistes".

Boudjemâa El Ankis died on September 2, 2015 at the age of 88 at the Aïn Naâdja hospital in Djasr Kasentina (Gué de Constantine), in the suburbs of Algiers.

Posthumous tributes

He is buried in the El Kettar cemetery in Algiers, during his burial a large crowd moved as well as various chaâbi players, among whom, Kamel Ferdjellah, and Djilali Kebaili, the son of Mohamed Brahimi (alias Sheikh Kebaili).

The 7th Chaâbi days in Médéa, in 2015, were dedicated to him.

Discography

Anaya Bejfak
El Kaoui
El Meknin Ezin
Meknasia
Nousik Ya Hbibi
Ya El Ghafel
Ya Woulfi
Rah el ghali

Albums

2000: "Ya El Ouahdani" (Believe / Royal Music)
2015: "In Kabyle" with Amar Ezzahi (Edition Atlas)

http://www.discogs.com/fr/artist/3006151-Boudjema-Elankis