Mustapha Skandrani, (17 November 1920 in the Lower Casbah,

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

– 8 October 2005) was an Algerian pianist, performer of

chaâbi Chaabi ( in Arabic), also known as Chaâbi, Sha-bii, or Sha'bii meaning "folk", refers to different music genres in North Africa and the Middle East such as Algerian chaabi, Moroccan chaabi and Egyptian Shaabi. Chaabi music just means 'music ...

music.

Early life

Born in 1920, in the

Casbah of Algiers The Casbah ( ar, قصبة, ''qaṣba'', meaning citadel) is the citadel of Algiers in Algeria and the traditional quarter clustered around it. In 1992, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed ' ...

, in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, Skandrani's family were 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 and originally came from Iskander,

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. Indeed, his family surname "Skandrani" is a Turkish origin surname used in Algeria by families from İskenderun. He grew up and studied until the elementary certificate without problem in the secular Casbah.

Career

Skandrani made his radio debut with the composer

Rachid Ksentini Rachid Ksentini (November 11, 1887 – August 4, 1944) was an Algerian actor and comedian. Biography Rachid Ksentini was born Rachid Belakhdar on November 11, 1887 in the Casbah of Algiers. He left school early to work as an apprentice carpenter ...

and his partner Marie Soussan. That was followed by a tour of Algeria in 1940 with

Umm Kulthum Umm Kulthum ( ar, أم كلثوم, , also spelled ''Oum Kalthoum'' in English; born Fatima Ibrahim es-Sayyid el-Beltagi, ar, فاطمة إبراهيم السيد البلتاجي, Fāṭima ʾIbrāhīm es-Sayyid el-Beltāǧī, link=no; 31 Dece ...

, Mahieddine Bachtarzi, Driscar, Mustapha Kateb and others. On his return from tour, he accompanied all the stars who attended concerts among other Dahmane Ben Achour, El Hadj Menouar and the dean of Chaabi music

El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka ( ar, الحاج محمد العنقة}), (May 20, 1907 in Algiers – November 23, 1978 in Algiers) also known as Hadj Muhammed Al Anka, El-Hadj M'Hamed El Anka (and various other combinations), was considered a Grand Ma ...

. As a conductor of the concert part, Skandrani was present in 46 creations of the Arab Theatre of the Opera of Algiers. In 1956, musicologist El Boudali Safir assigned Skandrani to the modern orchestra as a replacement for El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka. He was also the soloist in the classical orchestra commissioned to Abderrazak Fakhardji, a position he held until the

independence of Algeria Independence Day ( ar, عيد استقلال, french: Jour de l'Indépendance), observed annually on 5 July, is a National Holiday in Algeria commemorating colonial Algerian independence from France on 5 July 1962. Algerian War (1954–196 ...

, combining its radio business with interests in the emerging

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

. Beginning in 1938, Skandrani composed over 300 modern compositions or chaâbi and 187

qasida The qaṣīda (also spelled ''qaṣīdah''; is originally an Arabic word , plural ''qaṣā’id'', ; that was passed to some other languages such as fa, قصیده or , ''chakameh'', and tr, kaside) is an ancient Arabic word and form of writin ...

and ditties including "Youm El Djemaa", "El Haraz", "Kifechhilti", "Qahoua ou lateye", "A bouya Hnini" "A laini filaati. " From 1966 to 1981, he was a teacher at the Conservatory of Algiers and served as director from 1981. He died on 8 October 2005 at the age of 85 at his home in Algiers after a long illness. He is buried at the Sidi M'hamed Cemetery.

Discography

* Touchia (1963 EP,

Pathé Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French people, French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest ...

) * Stikhbar (1965 LP,

) * Khlassat (1965 LP,

) * Le Piano Dans La Musique Arabe (1992 Compilation, Artistes Arabes Associés) * Les Virtuoses (1993 Compilation, Artistes Arabes Associés)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Skandrani, Mustapha 1920 births 2005 deaths Algerian people of Turkish descent Algerian musicians Algerian pianists People from Casbah 20th-century pianists 21st-century Algerian people