Blida \u2013 The late artist Rabah Driassa stands as one of the towering figures of authentic Algerian music, a symbol of committed artistry that beautifully blended creativity and cultural heritage. Known for his profound lyrics and sincerity, Driassa gave voice to national pride, honesty, and love for Algeria through his timeless songs that continue to resonate across generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of his passing, which falls on October 8, several artists spoke to the Algerian Press Service (APS), recalling how Driassa\u2019s unforgettable voice became intertwined with patriotic and moral themes. His celebrated works, including \u201cYa Mohamed,\u201d \u201cNejma Qotbia,\u201d \u201cYa Chmaliya,\u201d \u201cEl Jawla El Kbira,\u201d and \u201cYahyaou Oulad Bladi,\u201d transcended time and remain deeply rooted in the collective memory of Algerians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Artist Nasreddine El Belidi, Driassa\u2019s nephew, recalled that the late master, born on July 1, 1934, in Blida, began his artistic journey in the 1950s, merging his talent for miniature painting and calligraphy with his passion for music. His first song, \u201cNejma Qotbia,\u201d achieved remarkable fame nationwide and abroad. El Belidi described his uncle as a \u201ccomplete artist,\u201d writing, composing, and performing his own songs, which explored themes of patriotism, morality, and social traditions, earning him a special place in the hearts of Algerians. Driassa\u2019s artistic repertoire exceeded one thousand recorded songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also revived the traditional Bedouin song El A\u00efa\u00ef<\/em>, collaborating with poets and masters of the genre such as Sheikh El Arjani, Sheikh El Badoui, and Khalifi Ahmed. Through this, he gained immense respect and became a pioneer of meaningful and committed art in Algeria\u2014an art serving identity rather than fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actor Abdelhamid Rabia described Driassa as \u201ca man of noble ethics and genuine commitment,\u201d whose songs touched the Algerian soul and united people around their shared values. He was beloved not only by the public but also by fellow artists across the Arab world, becoming a true ambassador of Algerian music with performances in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Artist and event organizer Nour Eddine Ben Ghali noted that Driassa was renowned for writing his songs in refined Algerian Arabic, which made them easily understood by Arab audiences everywhere. He highlighted Driassa\u2019s modesty throughout his career, emphasizing that he never sought fame but rather pursued \u201cthe honest word and the melody that touches the heart,\u201d believing that \u201cart born from the heart reaches the heart effortlessly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rabah Driassa passed away on Friday, October 8, 2021, in his hometown of Blida at the age of 87, leaving behind an artistic treasure that continues to inspire new generations. To honor his legacy, local authorities named the city\u2019s \u201cHouse of the Artist\u201d after him, a gesture of gratitude for his priceless contribution to Algerian culture and his lifelong dedication to authentic art rooted in national identity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Blida \u2013 The late artist Rabah Driassa stands as one of the towering figures of authentic Algerian music, a symbol of committed artistry that beautifully blended creativity and cultural heritage. Known for his profound lyrics and sincerity, Driassa gave voice to national pride, honesty, and love for Algeria through his timeless songs that continue to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","iawp_total_views":2,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14820"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14822,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14820\/revisions\/14822"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}