Keltoum (Aïcha Adjouri)

Keltoum whose real name is Aïcha Adjouri is an Algerian actress born February 4 1916 in Blida and died November 11 2010 in Algiers Figure and dean of Algerian theater and cinema Keltoum crosses paths with Mahieddine Bachtarzi who recruits her for a small role as a dancer in an operetta In 1937 she costarred with Rachid Ksentini in Marriage by Telephone and appeared in most of the shows on the famous Mahieddine tours in Algeria North Africa and Europe It also happened that the rigors of the colonial law of the time came to sanction the actress In its edition of March 21 1950 the daily newspaper Algiers Republican reports a fine of 50000 francs imposed on Mahieddine by the municipality the layoff for a month of the actress Keltoum and the ban on performing on the stage of the Opera made to the Tunisian singer Ali Riahi on the grounds that the piece ElOuadjib and the songs during the performance included passages deemed seditious Memoirs of M Bachetarzi Member of the Arab troupe of the Opera of Algiers when it was created in 1947 under the direction of Bachtarzi alongside many stars including Mohammed Touri Djelloul Bachdjerrah Réda Falaki and Mustapha Kateb she interrupted her activities in 1956 with the independance War She is back on stage with the creation in 1963 of the National Theater in the company of Mustapha Kateb Mohamed Boudia Abderrahmane Kaki Allel elMouhib and Abdelkader Alloula Until the turn of 1990 she will have played in several dozen plays After Mort dun commercial voyageur by Arthur Miller by Fouzia Aït ElHadj 1987 followed by La Maison de Bernarda Alba by Federico Garcia Lorca staged by Allel elMouhib his last appearance dates back to 1991 with the cover of El Bouaboune Les Concierges by Rouiched At the cinema she appeared in La Septième Porte by French filmmaker André Swobada with in the main roles of Leila and Ali on the one hand Maria Casarès and Georges Marchal for the French version and on the other hand Keltoum and Bechir Gabsi for the Arabic version She will shine especially in a magnificent silent and stripped interpretation of mother courage in the Vent des Aurès by Mohamed LakhdarHamina in 1966 Asked about his meeting with the actress Mohamed LakhdarHamina confided that it was on the recommendation of André Swobada whom he met and chose Keltoum for the Vent des Aurès She will play again in Hassan Terro 1968 December 1972 and Chronicle of the Brazen Years 1974 by the same director then in Les Déracinés Beni Hendel by Lamine Merbah 1976 Le Vent du sud Rih el djanoub 1975 and Hassan Taxi 1982 by Mohamed Slim Riad The Roaring Years of the Twist by Mahmoud Zemmouri 1986 or even Hassan Niya by Ghaouti Bendedouche 1989 A figure of theater and cinema in Algeria Keltoum was given a tribute in March 2010 at the initiative of the association of filmmakers Lumières Ill she could not be present at the ceremony Keltoum was buried in the cemetery of El Alia