Mohamed Tahar Fergani (9 May 1928 – 7 December 2016) was an Algerian singer, violinist and composer, nicknamed the Nightingale of Constantine.

Early life

He was born in

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

. Master of the Malouf music of Constantine. Mohamed Tahar Fergani is one of the few singers to interpret compositions on four octaves. In addition to the Malouf, he interprets the Mahjouz (popular Constantinois type that derives from the Malouf), Zjoul (musical genre as old as the Malouf, constantinois) and Hawzi (popular type that derives from the Tlemcen Gharnati).

Career

His father Hamou Fergani was a singer of Hawzi. Mohamed Tahar begins in the oriental music, he later changed of style approaching the Malouf. Its main two masters were Cheîkh Hassouna and Cheîkh Baba Abid. The Ferganies are very taken by the Malouf. His sister Z'hor was also a singer and his son Salim is a recognized cheîkh of Malouf. Mohamed Tahar has hundreds of records to his credit and has received several international awards. He created his Orchestra and his school of Constantine. One of his songs known in Algeria "Ed Dhalma" (the unjust) of the poet, Henni Bengenoune. He died in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

at the age of 88 on 7 December 2016.« Mort de Mohamed Tahar Fergani à Paris à l'âge de 88 ans », HuffPost Algérie, 7 décembre 2016

Notes and references

* Bouziane Ben Achour, local Figures, page 32, 200

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fergani, Mohamed Tahar 1928 births 2016 deaths People from Constantine, Algeria 20th-century Algerian male singers 21st-century Algerian people