Noura
| Noura | |
|---|---|
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Noura, 1971
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| Born |
Fatima Zohra Badji 1942 Cherchell, Algeria |
| Died | 1 June 2014 Paris, France |
| Nationality | Algerian |
| Other names | Arabic: فاطمة الزهراء باجي |
| Occupation | singer |
| Years active | 1950s-1980s |
| Known for | first gold record by an Algerian singer |
| Spouse(s) | Kamel Hamadi |
Fatima Zohra Badji (1942-2014) (Arabic: فاطمة الزهراء باجي) better known by her stage name of Noura (Arabic: نورة) was an Algerian singer. She was the first North African and Algerian to attain a gold record and was the first Algerian to appear on the front page of Paris Match. She received citations and awards from Tunisia, Libya and the Ministry of Culture of Algeria in recognition of her cultural contributions.
Fatima Zohra Badji was born in 1942 in Sidi Amar, a small village near Cherchell, Algeria to a large family. As a shy child, she spent a lot of time listening to the radio and decided in the 1950s to ask for a job at a radio station. She was hired to host a children's program by station manager Saïd Rezzoug, who assigned her to work under the composer Amari Maâmar. Maâmar liked the sound of her voice and introduced her as a singer with the song "El Ouarda" written by Said Hayef.
She quickly became a star, the first with wide popularity in the country with a variety of themes, which touched on alienation, exile and love. She also performed in many genres including Andalusian classical music, chaabi, chaoui, Kabyle, Sahrawi, covering all types of regional folk music, singing in both Arabic and Kabyle. Some of her early hits included "Ghorba", "Gal-el menfi", and "Hua, hua" and she starred in the operetta أنا الورقة المسكينة (I am a poor leaf) written by Mustapha Kechkoul of Radio Algiers and composed by Mustapha Skandrani. Promoted by the artistic director of the Opéra d'Alger, Mohamed Jamoussi and the musician, Mahboob Bati, Noura soon became one of the most noted singers in Algeria.
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