Rabat – Iconic Moroccan artist and playwright, Moulay Taher Asbahani, founder of the group “Jil Jilala,” passed away at the age of 75 on Wednesday.
The artist was known for his melodious voice when singing traditional Moroccan songs and poems on stage in Morocco and abroad.
Moroccan social media was filled with sadness after the tragic news of the iconic artist’s death.
Journalist Al-Hassan Al-Asibi mourned the artist’s passing with a heartfelt message on Facebook: “A rare bird has left our world today. A cornerstone of Marrakech, the ancient city which knows how to bestow us with similar artistic values.”
Born in Marrakech in 1948, Asbahani contributed to writing the history of singing and acting, and he used to compose songs for plays by Tayeb Saddiki, a Moroccan theater director.
The singer founded “Jil Jilala” in 1972 with his fellow artists Mahmoud Saadi and Hamid Zoughi.
The band’s most famous songs include, among many others, “Chamaa,” “Leklam Lemrassaa,” and “Baba Maktoubi.”
