Ahmed Amentag (1927 – November 24, 2015) was a Moroccan singer-poet (ṛṛays) and songwriter in Tashelhit.[2][3]

Ahmed Amentag
ⴰⵃⵎⴰⴷ ⴰⵎⵏⵜⴰⴳ
Born1927[1]
Tamsoult, Morocco
Died24 November 2015[1]
Dcheira El Jihadia, Morocco
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Voice, Rebab

Biography edit

Ahmed Amentag was born in the village of Mentaga near Taroudant. Thus, his artistic name was Amentag which means "from Mentaga" in Tachelhit.[4]

After leaving the madrasa in Taroudant at age 17, he joined a group of rways to play ribab for them. A few years later, he decided to found his own group of then-famous rways such as Lhadj Belaid, Omar Wahrouch, and Mohamed Demsiri.[4]

During the 1950s, he was a famous rays and toured in France, Germany and Belgium. He made his first music recording during the later 1960s in Paris.

Legacy edit

Ahmed Amentag authored several famous poems and songs such as:

  • Bou salem
  • Bou chahwa
  • Imik ayga zin

The national festival of rways in 2017 was dedicated to him for his contributions to the musical art of rways.[5]

Death edit

Ahmed Amentag fell sick during his last years and died on Tuesday, November 24, 2015, in Dcheira El Jihadia, Morocco.[6]

See also edit

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b الأمازيغية, البوابة. "الفنان الامازيغي الرايس أحمد أمنتاك يفارق الحياة صباح اليوم". Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  2. ^ Kratochwil, Gabi (2002). Die Berberbewegung in Marokko: zur Geschichte der Konstruktion einer ethnischen Identität, (1912-1997) (in German). K. Schwarz. ISBN 978-3-87997-301-9.
  3. ^ Cheurfi, Achour (2007). L'encyclopédie maghrébine (in French). Casbah éditions. ISBN 978-9961-64-641-0.
  4. ^ a b "وفاة الحاج أحمد أمنتاك آخر عمالقة فن الروايس بسوس" (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  5. ^ "الدشيرة الجهادية تحتفي بفن الروايس و بالمرحوم الحاج أحمد أمنتاك – وزارة الثقافة" (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2020-07-26. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  6. ^ "Raiss Ahmed Amentag n'est plus". MAP Express (in French). Retrieved 2020-07-25.