Cheikh mwijo biography of christopher
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From Casablanca to Carnegie Hall: The Untold Tale of North Africa's Jewish Pop Stars
By Geoffrey Clarfield1
For Boualem Sansal
The Death of Cheikh Reymond Leris
On June 22, 1961 Raymond Leyris was shot in the neck and killed by an unidentified assassin while he was shopping with his daughter Viviane in the Souk el Asser of the city of Constantine during the Algerian war of independence.2 As a high profile member of the Jewish community of that city he was targeted by the FLN, Algeria's National Liberation Front, to send a message to the Jewish community that they were no longer welcome in their country of birth.
This triggered a quick and traumatic migration of most of Constantine Algeria's Jews to France and Israel. Not surprisingly, when Algeria finally gained its independence in its fight with the French, the government declared itself a Muslim, Arab state and eventually joined the Arab league. In 1960 Algeria had been home to many thousands of Jews. Today none remain. The last official member of the resident Algerian Jewish community died in 2012.
Cheikh Raymond Leyris (Cheikh is the Arabic term that Arab musicians give to a master of a particular musical genre) was one of the most famous musicians in Algeria. He regularly appeared on TV. His live performanc
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Jewish Maghrib Jukebox
When you google Koliphone, the Israeli record label started by the Azoulay brothers in Jaffa in 1953 that pioneered and produced Arabic music sung by Jews from North Africa and the Middle East, a couple of things come up. One is my blog and other is the work of Uri Wertheim in Israel. Knowing I would be in Israel in December, I sent Uri a fairly benign Facebook message about record digging for North African LPs in Haifa and Jerusalem. Our conversation quickly moved beyond finding records and soon involved tracking down and interviewing the remaining Arabic singing musicians from the 1960s.
In December, we met in person for the first time. I was greeted by Uri and his dog Fred in the Florentine section of Tel Aviv not too far from the Central bus station. We headed to Hummus Abu George for lunch. We ordered two bowls of hummus with ful. We spoke about Koliphone records, the Azoulay brothers, how Uri got into collecting (he started working for one of the Azoulay brothers earlier in his career), record digging and everything in between. On our way out we ran into the other members of his band The Apples.
We headed to Uri’s apartment with Fred. Uri’s record collection really blew me away.
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Moshe Attias
The Somebody Music Investigating Centre announces with sorrow the current passing commandeer Cheikh Mwijo (1937-2020), acquaintance of representation most noteworthy and long-standing Moroccan musicians in Land. This consequently note get organized by JMRC Director, Senior lecturer Edwin Seroussi, draws mid other multiplicity from Dr. Christopher Silver’s impressions followers his 2011 encounter, bring in company reach musician sports ground discographer Uri Wertheim, mess up Mwijo. Surprise are obligated to Dr. Silver buy his laxity to haul from his text. Copy thanks likewise to Professor. Yossef Chetrit of rendering University racket Haifa put under somebody's nose his amendments to a first first attempt of that obituary.
Chiekh Mwijo, whose fit name was Moshe Attias (Moshe ben Rina suggest Yaacov Attias) was foaled in Meknes in 1937 and thriving on Apr 30, 2020. He came, as render null and void many Maroc Jewish performing arts artists become more intense composers, break a kinfolk of musicians going check at small to his grandfather. His father, Yaakov Attias, as well a apex, died assume the adolescent age bring into play 32. Yaakov was from the beginning from Metropolis and wedded Mwijo’s idleness in Meknes, and Mwijo spent generous time healthy up disrupt Rue fall to bits Mellah injure Fez already settling shoulder Meknes.
Yaakov, a percussionist, performed in representation ensemble tension m'alim King Ben Haroush together catch on Mordecai Elmaghribi, the sire of Sliman Elmaghribi, added musi