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The Moroccan playwright and lyricist Ahmed Tayeb El Alej passed away on Saturday in Rabat at the age of 84, according to his family.
The deceased will be buried on Sunday in Fez, his hometown, it was added.
With the passing of Ahmed Tayeb Laâlej, the artistic scene has lost one of the iconic figures of national theatre and one of the great masters of Zajal in Morocco.
In a statement to the MAP, Mustapha Kabbaj, Secretary General of the Ahmed Tayeb El Alej Foundation for Theatre, Zajal, and Popular Arts, indicated that the late deceased "was a genius" who enriched Moroccan culture, highlighting his contributions of inestimable cultural value, particularly in the fields of theatre, Zajal, and studies on popular arts and tales.
"Self-taught, generous, and enjoying the respect of all, the deceased has left behind a prolific body of work," continued Mr. Kabbaj.
Born in 1928 in Fez, Ahmed Tayeb El Alej was placed by his father with a "maâlem carpenter" as an apprentice, eventually becoming a master carpenter himself at the age of 18. It was later in life that Ahmed Tayeb Laâlej returned to his studies. Drawing inspiration from the rich popular tradition, this man of the theatre was able to exploit, with genius, the Moroccan cultural heritage.
Author of several plays, notably "Hada", "Aitouna", "Nechba", and "Saad", Tayeb El Alej, who joined the ranks of the Union of Moroccan Writers in 1986, had received the Morocco Prize for Literature in 1973 and the Syrian Medal of Intellectual Merit in 1975. Throughout his long artistic career, this peerless artist received several tributes, and meetings were organised to highlight his contribution to the country's cultural life.
Provider / Source : MAP, Aujourdhui.ma
