Algerian artist Hassna El Bacharia, an icon of desert music, known for being the only woman to play the qimbri, has passed away at the age of 74, as announced by government television on Wednesday, without mentioning the cause of death.
Hassna Hassni was born in Béchar in southwestern Algeria in 1954, from which she derived her artistic name, chosen since her first album in 1999 in Paris, where she lived for eight years. From the French capital, she released her most famous song "Algeria Jewel" in 2009. Through her tours, she popularized the desert art, inspired by African music and akin to rock, earning her the title "Desert Rock Singer," which is also the name of a documentary about her.
Hassna learned music from a young age; her father was a "mouqadim" of a Gnawa band, and her grandfather was also a musician. However, she was the only woman in Algeria to play the qimbri, a three-string instrument specific to Gnawa music that was traditionally reserved for men.
Her last major concert took place in February in Paris, and she had previously participated in the Arabesque Festival in Montpellier in September with her all-female band.
