Reupped by special request on Feb 22, 2015, here.
[Originally posted on April 5, 2012.] I found this utterly fantastic CD in a little CD/cassette shop in Marrakesh a block or two south of Place Jemaa el Fna (where I also found this).
I know nothing about the guy and there looks to be nothing in English about him on the Web anywhere.
Perhaps Tim at Moroccan Tape Stash can fill us in the next time he stops in at the Bodega?
[Update: See comments for Hammer's track list and elucidation of the artist.]
[Update: See comments for Hammer's track list and elucidation of the artist.]
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6 comments:
Hi, Gary.
This is Rais (also called EL'Hajj) Omar Ouahrouche El-Arabi -الريس عمر وهروش).
Chronology: He started singing at the young age of 16. His first ever song was recorded in 1960 where he sang a qasid (a poem in Arabic), about a well-known palace in Morocco called Qasr El-Badie. His last ever song was made in 1987.
Description: Born in 1926 at Duwwar Tehouna Yemzilin; an Amazigh townlet in the outskirts of Marrakesh. He is a revolutionary Soussian singer who sang anti-French Soussian-dialect songs like his most famous Dharibit (Taxation) which got him a three-month stint at Imintanout jail in 1952 way before his songs got pinned down in record.
After leaving jail, he joined Ferqat Mowulai Ali then formed his own band a few years later. He toured France (1963), and Belgium (1964). Last time he was in France was in the year 1979 after an invitation by Radio France to record some songs live (most notably, his Ifreh Enak Baris (Be Happy! You're In Paris).
His songs were about mundane everyday popular themes like marriages, love, etc... and other popular folkloric tales that get sung in Morocco as part of their heritage, or 'Mawrouth'.
Later in his life and in 1991 he got mentally-weak and was hospoitalised at Berechid Psychiatric Hospital dying shortly after he was discharged in 1992.
Similar Artists:
-El-Rais El-Bancir.
-El-Rais Ahmad Amentag.
-La'Hacan Akthab.
-El-Raissa Rukia Talbencirte.
-El-Hajj Mohammed Banciri.
-El-Rais Hammad Bizmaouen.
-El-Mouktar El-Arrousi.
-El-Rais El-Mubarak Eyessar.
-El-Rais Muhanad Ajoujakil.
Discography:
His only known album-cassette is now at La Bibliothèque Nationale du Royaume du Maroc (Kutaibaphone - No Date).
Here's his page at Radio Casablanca with some downloadable sound files:
http://www.maroc.net/newrc/sb/wahrouch.htm
Enjoy.
H.H.
Track-Listing (Tchakaphone CD-5108):
01- Hbib Nrad Edik Nmoun
02- Elouz Arwahat Awdar W'tai.
03- Yan Meghoutin Imhasidin.
04- Allah Elmout.
05- Eligh Awrtak Issin Yan El-Baz.
06- Awdad Mneigh Kid Ouin Ighrisin.
07- Edagh Oumrikhin Amragh Athdoukh.
08- El-Hbab.
This is great background; thank you so much!
Nice! Thanks Gary & HH!
http://snapcrackleandpops.blogspot.com/2011/04/haj-omar-wahrouche-repost.html (MediaFire - Downloadable).
This is what Snap, Crackle, & Pop has once posted at his blog by H. Omar Wahrouche. And, it is the only surviving cassette by this L'Rbab-ist. Other records are a handful of 45 RPM singles.
Enjoy DLing it there, too. I did a long while aborning.
Bubai.
H.H.
http://www.cmdd-music.com/artiste_amazigh.ws
And, this is here the whole CD Collection of Amazighian old 'Kadim/Qadim' musicians with some audio-samples.
Note: This Moroccan site offers 53 CDs by Mohammed Rouicha alone! I guess when Tim Abdellah reads this, the poo' git will get a heart attack! Dayum!
Will make sure to post all of these and more on my own blog. Soon, 'shAllah!
Dig.
H.H.
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