Rachid Ksentini

Rachid Ksentini was born on the 11^th November 1887; he died on the 4^th August 1944. He was an Algerian actor and a comedian.

source of picture: en.wikipedia.org

Biography

Rachid Ksentini was born as Rachid Belakhdar on the 11^th November 1887 in the Casbah of Algiers in Algeria.

Rachid Ksentini left school at early age to work as an apprentice carpenter with his father in the Bab El Oued until the year 1914. On the eve of the World War I, he showed up as a seaman in the merchant navy and left his country to France. The boat he boarded on was attacked by the German naval forces. The survivors were saved by the Royal Navy and were moved to Merseille. By his profession of the sailor, Rachid Ksentini toured Europe, North America, China as well as India. He went back to his country and in the same year he met with the Ali Sellali who asked him to participate in his theatrical group called Ezzahia. The combination results among some other things by the presentation of the play called Zaouadj Bouaklin on the 26^th October 1926, and that marks Rachid Ksentini’s first appearance on the stage, a performance that captured the attention of the public. The combination between the two men was kept alive with the adaptation by Allaluo of the sequences from the movie called One Thousand and One Nights, where Rachid Ksentini was given the first role to perform. In the year 1927, Rachid Ksentini produced with Djelloul Bachedjerrah, the El Djazir group scattered shortly after that.

Rachid Ksentini engaged himself in theatre mainly, though he had some time for the comedy songs with social background. Most of his music are covers or interpolation that are collected from the national heritage music tunes.

Rachid Ksentini died on the 4^th August 1944.

Bibliography

Hachlaf Ahmed; Hachlaf, Mohamed Elhabib (2001), Anthologie de la musique arabe, 1906-1960 (in French). Algiers: Éditions Anep. p. 346.