Salah El Mahdi

Salah El Mahdi ( Arabic صالح المهدي Mohamed Salah Ben Abderrahmane Ibn Mehdi Chérif ; * February 9, 1925 in Tunis ; † September 12, 2014 ) was a Tunisian musicologist , musician and composer .

Life

El Mahdi came from a musical family; at his father, a music teacher, the elite Tunisian musicians as well as musicians from abroad gathered. After school education and music studies at the University of Ez-Zitouna from 1941, he continued his education at the law faculty of the national administration college. He later received his PhD from the University of Poitiers . In addition, from the age of 18 he was a music teacher at the Rasbidia Institute, which he headed from 1949. Since 1951 he worked as a judge. From 1957 to 1979 he was responsible for the development of musical education in the Tunisian government and founded the conservatory in his hometown, which he also directed. He also initiated the Tunisian symphony orchestra and a national training center for the psalmody of the Koran . In addition, he worked internationally for UNESCO and for the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture .

As a musician, he was best known as a ney player; many of his appearances were broadcast on the radio. He composed the first Tunisian national anthem Ala Khallidi , but also numerous other works, songs as well as symphonic works. He was also involved in the ethno jazz production Noon in Tunisia (1967) and then went on tour with George Gruntz again and again . As a musicologist, he dealt with Arabic music across countries .

Book publications

• La Musique arabe: Structures, Historique et Organologie . 1972

Web links

• Homepage

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} ( page no longer available , search in web archives: Tahar Melligi: Dr Salah Mehdi. Juge et maître de la musique tunisienne ). In: La Presse de Tunisie , September 24, 2007.
2. ^ Anouar Chennoufi: La scène musicale en deuil suite au décès ce vendredi de Salah El Mehdi ( memento of September 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive ). Announcement on tunivisions.net of September 12, 2014 (French).