Messaoud Nedjahi (; 24 January 1954 – 30 August 2021) was an Algerian writer and singer-songwriter.

Biography

Nedjahi was born in M'Chouneche on 24 January 1954 and moved to Batna in 1958 following expulsion from the French government. His father was deported to

Cayenne Cayenne (; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Caye ...

and died in 1970. Nedjahi underwent persecution for speaking the

Shawiya language Shawiya, or Shawiya Berber, also spelt Chaouïa (native form: ''Tacawit'' ), is a Zenati Berber language spoken in Algeria by the Shawiya people. The language's primary speech area is the Awras Mountains in Eastern Algeria and the surrounding ...

, with his play, ''Jugurta'', being banned in 1974. Afterwards, he translated poems in Shawiya. In 1972, Nedjahi began studying at

Constantine 1 University The University of Constantine 1 (), also known as Université Frères Mentouri Constantine 1, is a public university located in Constantine, Algeria. Designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, the university was established in 1969. See a ...

, beginning his exploration of the artistic world and allowing him to meet

Cherif Merzouki Cherif Merzouki or Cherif Merzougui or Merzogui (February 8, 1951 Amentan, Menaa, Aurès - April 4, 1991 Aurès ) was a painter and Illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by prov ...

, , , ,

Mohamed Demagh Mohamed Demagh (4th July, 1930 – 16th August, 2018) was an Algerian sculptor. Biography During the Algerian War Mohamed Demagh survived a bombing of French aviation in the maquis in Aures under the command of Abdelhamid Boudiaf (not to be ...

, and . One of his art exhibitions was vandalized and his friend, Safia de Tamlilt, was burned. In 1979, he met

Dihya Al-Kahina (), also known as Dihya, was a Berber warrior-queen of the Aurès and a religious and military leader who lived during the seventh century AD. Her legacy has been retold through the oral tradition since her lifetime. There are various ...

and became her writer, composer, and arranger. In 1980, Nedjahi participated in the

Berber Spring The Berber Spring (in Berber: Tafsut Imaziɣen or simply Tafsut for "Spring") was a period of political protest and civil activism in 1980, claiming recognition of the Berber identity and language in Algeria, with events mainly taking place in ...

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

Tizi Ouzou Tizi Ouzou or Thizi Wezzu (, Kabyle: Tizi Wezzu) is a city in north central Algeria, and capital of Tizi Ouzou Province and Tizi Ouzou District. It is among the largest cities in Algeria. It is the second most populous city in the Kabylia reg ...

, and

Boumerdès Boumerdès (; ; formerly ''Rocher Noir'') is the capital city of Boumerdès Province, Algeria. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea. It had a population of 15,000 in 1987 and 28,500 in 1998. Boumerdès is a seaside city located in the north o ...

and refused to enlist for his Algerian military service. After the threat of imprisonment, he went into exile in France in 1981, where he stayed for 27 years. Nedjahi devoted himself to writing and publishing, reissuing works by

Apuleius Apuleius ( ), also called Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis (c. 124 – after 170), was a Numidians, Numidian Latin-language prose writer, Platonist philosopher and rhetorician. He was born in the Roman Empire, Roman Numidia (Roman province), province ...

, such as ''

The Golden Ass The ''Metamorphoses'' of Apuleius, which Augustine of Hippo referred to as ''The Golden Ass'' (Latin: ''Asinus aureus''), is the only ancient Roman novel in Latin to survive in its entirety. The protagonist of the novel is Lucius. At the end of ...

''. He also led conferences which covered themes of Berber civilization, personal identity, Apuleius, and the Berber experience. In 2008, he returned to Algeria and settled in the

Aurès Aurès () is a natural region located in the mountainous area of the Aurès Mountains, Aurès range, in eastern Algeria. The region includes the provinces of Algeria, Algerian provinces of Batna Province, Batna, Tebessa Province, Tebessa, Consta ...

region. In 2016, he was invited to give a lecture on the history of Batna at the Centre universitaire Saleh Daoud. Nedjahi died of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

in Paris on 30 August 2021, at the age of 67.

Books

*''La becquée n'a pas suffi'' *''Aurès insolite'' *''Aurès insoumis'' *''Aurès ou les feuillets morts d'un amnésique'' *''Massinissa, le seigneur des coquelicots'' *''Jugurtha, l'héritier du coquelicot'' *''Autopsie d'une identité'' *''Profession : Infirmière'' *''Tamenraset sous la neige'' *''Ug Zelmad l'insoumis'' *''Les anges naissent en Aurès'' *''Les trois précieuses'' *''La muse m'a dit'' *''Systole et diastole''

Musical albums

*''A yudan!'' *''Iwal'' *''Tulawin n tmurt inu'' *''Mas Aksel''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nedjahi, Messaoud 1954 births 2021 deaths Algerian emigrants to France Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in France Algerian male writers Algerian songwriters Algerian exiles People from Biskra Province