Mustapha El Anka

Mustapha El Anka (real name Mustapha Aït Ouarab), born April 6, 1926, is an Algerian singer and actor. He is also credited under the name Mustapha Halo. He is the oldest child of the famous musician and master of Chaâbi El Hadj M'hamed El Anka. He obtained his school certificate at the age of 13 and subsequently joined the musical troupe led by his father to become the drabki (darbouka player) of the orchestra. In 1947, he moved to Paris and learned to play the guitar, banjo and mandolin. he plays on stage and sings songs about exile in Arabic and Kabyle, for an audience of Algerian emigrants. Twelve years later, French radio and television recruited him as technical advisor and section head. In this capacity, he attended the recording of records in Arabic and Kabyle and met great artists such as Mohamed Abdelwahab and Farid El Atrache. Touched by the exile of his son, Hadj M’Hamed El Anka appealed to him to return through a song in Kabyle “Izrin Yeghlev Lehmali”. Mustapha will respo...