Raïs Lhaj Mohamed Demsiri

Another "finally!" moment for Moroccan Tape Stash. Sharing today some tracks from the legendary artist Raïs Lhaj Mohamed Demsiri (1936-1989). Born Mohamed Ajahud, known professionally as al-Demsiri or Albensir, Demsiri is generally held to be the most important figure in amarg souss in the 2nd half of the 20th century.  

Journalist and researcher Abdellah Bouchtart writes of the uniqueness of Demsiri's art:

"his poetry departed from the prescribed framework within which the rwais used to compose their poetry, and he went beyond the familiar in the meanings, themes, and issues that he addressed and dealt with. He was also distinguished by his method of treatment and performance, as he chose to be bold in presentation, harsh in criticism, generous in love poetry, profound in mysticism, precise in description, and a courageous fighter for burning social issues. However, what distinguishes Albensir most is his possession of the Amazigh consciousness, that cultural consciousness which made him dare to break the complex of fear that dominated the Amazigh, creators, poets, writers and politicians, and to speak about the “racial discrimination” that the Amazigh and the Amazigh language and culture suffered from before and after independence." [1]

Demsiri's career stretches back to at least 1963. His professional travels took him to various European countries and to Algeria [2]. Discogs currently lists around 20 albums on cassette, mostly on the Tichkaphone/Koutoubiaphone label. I would guess that some of these albums are collections of tracks originally published as 7" vinyl singles. Stroomer [2] estimated as of 1994 that between 80 and 100 cassettes of Demsiri could be found in the Moroccan markets, including both official releases and bootleg recordings. 

Among the bootleg recordings, I would think, are the songs that got Demsiri in trouble with the Moroccan authorities. These would include the song "Agourn" (Flour), which criticized the government's response to the 1981 bread riots, and "Timzgida" (The Mosque) criticizing the collection of mandatory contributions for the construction of the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca [3]. The former song got Demsiri arrested in 1981.

This out of print album is the only one I've found of Demisiri on CD. But you can find lots of his music on the various streaming platforms. 

Raïs Haj Mohamed Damciri الرايس الحاج محمد الدمسيري
Tichkhaphone TCK CD 07 تشكافون

1 Irabbi Lward إربي الورد
2 Awzanakh Yen Tebrat أورنخ يان تبرات
3 Awi Essalam أوي السلام
4 Bou Taxi بو الطاكسي
5 Our Nsamah Ibariz أور نسامح إلريز 

FLAC | 320 

Sources consulted:

[1] Abdellah Bouchtart عبدالله بوشطارت. [Amazigh culture in the songs of Rais Mohamed Albensir "Al-Damsiri"... A struggle in a time of fear] الأمازيغية في أغاني الرايس محمد ألبنسير "الدمسيري" .. نضال في زمن الخوف. Hespress, January 20, 2024. 

[2] H. Stroomer. "Damsīrī (ad-Damsiri)". in Encyclopédie berbère, 14. Aix-en-Provence: Edisud. pp. 2203–2204. 1994.

[3]  Noureddine Ekjan نورالدين إكجان. ["Raïs Albensir": The Amazigh Singing Legend Who Criticized Hassan II] الرايس ألبنسير".. أسطورة الغناء الأمازيغي الذي انتقد الحسن الثاني". Hespress, November 11, 2018.