Mahieddine Bachtarzi

A muezzin at the Djamaa el Djedid in the Casbah of Algiers in his youth, Mahieddine Bachtarzi possessed a breathtaking lyrical tenor voice. In 1921, he gave classical Andalusian concerts in Paris, winning international acclaim before dedicating his life to creating indigenous dramatic theater in Algerian Arabic.

In 1923, he established the Musical and Dramatic Society of Algiers, touring the Maghreb and Europe with plays that challenged colonial injustice, illiteracy, and superstition. Following independence, he directed the National Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Arts, writing his monumental three-volume *Mémoires*.