death_date death_place birth_place nationality background birth_date language genre image article_title name occupation
17 july 2006 zeralda , algeria algiers , algeria algerian solo_singer 06 january 1938 arab chaabi file : guerouabi.jpg el hachemi guerouabi
 el hachemi guerouabi singer , musician , mandole
el hachemi guerouabi

el-hadj el hachmi guerouabi -lrb- arabic : الهاشمي القروابي ; born january 6 , 1938 , in algiers , algeria - died july 17 , 2006 in zeralda , algeria -rrb- was an algerian singer and composer of chaâbi and one of the grand masters of the algiers-based chaâbi music.he was born in el mouradia -lrb- algiers -rrb- and grew up in bélouizdad -lrb- formerly belcourt -rrb- .
two passions occupied guerouabi 's childhood : football and music .
being a good footballer he played with la redoute ac football club until 1952 .
by then he had developed a special interest to music ; in particular the music of el hadj m'hamed el anka , hadj m'rizek and hssissen .
his win in the el arbi music-hall contest helped him join the opera of algiers in 1953 , where he was engaged in music but also played several theatrical roles including the famous haroun errachid.after the independence of algeria from france in 1962 , guerouabi saw the invasion of foreign music , especially from europe and egypt , as a threat to the traditional algerian music .
he tries to attract a younger audience by introducing fundamental changes in his compositions that will later make him a distinctive and master of chaâbi.guerouabi continued his innovations and became an icon of the algerian popular music .
he was invited to perform in various occasions by prestigious institutions and notable individuals , which added to his popularity and respect among chaâbi fans.in 1987 , guerouabi went on a pilgrimage in mecca -lrb- saudi arabia -rrb- and gained the title of `` el-hadj '' .
he moved to paris -lrb- france -rrb- in the late 1990s for medical treatment for severe diabetes , where he settled until his death in 2006 .
despite his illness , guerouabi continued to produce music , play in concerts around the world and play at weddings , but in february 2005 he had undergone a surgery that resulted in the amputation of his leg and his decision to quit music .
however , due to a growing demand from his homeland , he gave his last concert in algiers on july 4 , 2005 in front of a very large audience .
he was admitted to hospital again in july 2006 , one year exactly after his last public appearance , after a heart attack which cost him his life .
el hachmi guerouabi died on july 17 , 2006 in zeralda near algiers and left behind him a large repertoire of music , a musical renaissance but most importantly a remarkable contribution to the vulgarisation of chaâbi .
