Zakia Bent Haj Boubaker Marrakchi, better known by her stage names Chafia Rochdi and Nana (November 7, 1910 – July 21, 1989) was a Tunisian singer and actress.
Biography
Born November 7, 1910, in
Sfax
Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterranean ...
as Zakia Bent Haj Boubaker Marrakchi, Rochdi's mother was of
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
origin who spent her childhood in
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
. Orphaned as a child, she took her primary education in her hometown. At the age of 14, Rochdi learned to play the piano under the guidance of Prof. Hedi Chennoufi. She made her stage debut in 1920 under the leadership of Mohamed Chabchoub. Aspiring to gain public recognition, she travel to the capital of
in 1929 where she joined the famous Tunisian artist Fadhila Khetmi in her first performances.
Legacy
Named by her admirers as the "Diva of the Public" and "Nana", she was one of the few Tunisian artists to start her own theater company and the only woman to participate in the creation of
The Rachidia
The Rachidia is an artistic and cultural association specializing in Tunisian music. It was created on 3 November 1934 by the intellectual, political and artistic community led by , who was Sheikh el Medina of Tunis at that period.Mustapha Sfar. She also participated in various orchestras in the company of great musicians of the era and created her own band called the "Nana Orchestra."
la Foundation Femmes et memorié paid tribute to her and other pioneers of Tunisian theaters by celebrating 'Pioneers of Tunisia' day.
Death
Towards the end of her life, Rochdi dedicated herself solely to acting in the theater. She died on July 21, 1989.