Bouyagui ould Nevrou was born in 1962, in Atar in northwest Mauritania, the capital of Adrar province. (Atar, like Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, is a city first outlined by the French colonial military. Today, the city is home to a Mauritanian air force base.)
Bouyagui's father, Isselmou ould Nevrou, was born in 1924, in Nema, the capital of the Hodh ech Chargui region, close to the border with Mali, in Mauritania's musical heartland; all of the greatest beydane (arabo-berber) instrumentalists are from southeastern Mauritania. Isselmou ould Nevrou moved to Atar in 1942, following a colonial interpreter named Mohammed ould Nena ould Abdel Malick. Isselmou, presumably through these contacts in the French colonial administration, moved to St. Louis, Senegal, in the early 1950s to work for Radio Mauritanie--the programs were broadcast in short wave from studios in St. Louis. He worked as a producer, working closely with musicians to prepare and record musical programs for broadcast; Isselmou was also French anthropologist Michel Guignard's recording assistant, helping him organize his 1960s field recordings--not these later ones. When, after Mauritanian independence in 1960, the station moved to Nouakchott, Isselmou settled in the nation's capital. He worked for Mauritania's national radio until he retired in 1973, whereupon he moved to Nouadhibou, on Mauritania's northern Atlantic border. Isselmou ould Nevrou passed away on June 12, 1988.
Bouyagui, despite being the son of one the country's most famous musicians, grew up in a household with little music. Bouyagui's mother Farah mint Mohammed Deya was also from an artistic family, she was a descendent of Seddoum ould Ndjartou, one of Mauritania's most celebrated poets (18th century), and grew up in a musical household. But she was not a performing musician. Bouyagui spent his childhood with his maternal uncles and their families (the ehel Nghaimich), none of whom were performing musicians. Obsessed with music, Bouyagui taught himself the guitar, using the instrument his father gave him in the summer of 1973. He never learned the traditional tidinitt repertoire of shwar (melodies), even though his musical idol was his paternal uncle, Sid Ahmed Bekaye ould Awa, a tidinitt virtuoso.
Bouyagui gave his first public performance in the summer of 1978. Soon after he left high school, he travelled to Guelmim in southern Morocco with his mother. They spent three months in Guelmim. It was his mother's first big trip. To celebrate the event she gave one of her only public performances, accompanied by her son Bouyagui. From Guelmim, Bouyagui travelled to Nouakchott, settling in the capital city, determined to make a name for himself as an artist. He started to perform regularly around Nouakchott and to travel, in particular to Nouadhibou, at the invitation of Mohammed Bouya ould Cheikhna ould Ely Cheikh ould Momma, a member of a celebrated and powerful religious family from Atar. Mohammed Bouya, nicknamed Biyé, became Bouyagui's most generous and faithful patron, showering him with money and giving him his first car. To this day, Bouyagui remains faithful to his friend Biyé.
In the summer of 1988, Bouyagui made his most famous recordings. He was traveling to Nouakchott from Laayoune, in southern Morocco, via the Canary Islands and intended to break up the trip with a two-day layover in Las Palmas. Upon arrival in the capital of Gran Canaria, however, Bouyagui's hosts told him that Dimi mint Abba was summering on the island. His hosts invited both artists to perform together. Bouyagui ended up spending several weeks in Las Palmas and performing six evenings of Hawl with Dimi. Each of these evenings were recorded and quickly circulated in Nouakchott. These recordings are uniformly good and helped spread Bouyagui's reputation throughout Mauritania.
Bouyagui has a more intimate relationship with two of Mauritania's other great female singers. In 1986, he married Ooleya mint Amartichitt. She is the only singer to have rivalled Dimi in talent and popularity. In January 1987, Ooleya gave birth to their daughter, Mneitou mint Nevrou. Today, Mneitou is one of Mauritania's biggest stars, perhaps second only to Dimi's little sister Gharmi mint Abba. I first saw Mneitou perform, accompanying her mother, when she was 15 years old; she was already a ferociously talented singer.
In recent years, Bouyagui has become more selective about the musical invitations he accepts and he performs less frequently than he did a decade ago. He still travels, mostly to southern Morocco, to honor invitations from patrons he has known for decades.
Download Bouyagui ould Nevrou
This cassette recording captures an intimate performance from the late 1990s. Bouyagui performs solo, accompanying himself on guitar. You can hear the comments and encouragements of his hosts throughout his relaxed and intimate performance. Bouyagui takes his time. His voice becomes more expressive as the evening unfolds. Enjoy this rare recording from one of Mauritania's great male vocalists of the late 1990s-early 2000s.
This post is based on an interview with Bouyagui ould Nevrou.
Enjoy!
Bouyagui's father, Isselmou ould Nevrou, was born in 1924, in Nema, the capital of the Hodh ech Chargui region, close to the border with Mali, in Mauritania's musical heartland; all of the greatest beydane (arabo-berber) instrumentalists are from southeastern Mauritania. Isselmou ould Nevrou moved to Atar in 1942, following a colonial interpreter named Mohammed ould Nena ould Abdel Malick. Isselmou, presumably through these contacts in the French colonial administration, moved to St. Louis, Senegal, in the early 1950s to work for Radio Mauritanie--the programs were broadcast in short wave from studios in St. Louis. He worked as a producer, working closely with musicians to prepare and record musical programs for broadcast; Isselmou was also French anthropologist Michel Guignard's recording assistant, helping him organize his 1960s field recordings--not these later ones. When, after Mauritanian independence in 1960, the station moved to Nouakchott, Isselmou settled in the nation's capital. He worked for Mauritania's national radio until he retired in 1973, whereupon he moved to Nouadhibou, on Mauritania's northern Atlantic border. Isselmou ould Nevrou passed away on June 12, 1988.
Bouyagui, despite being the son of one the country's most famous musicians, grew up in a household with little music. Bouyagui's mother Farah mint Mohammed Deya was also from an artistic family, she was a descendent of Seddoum ould Ndjartou, one of Mauritania's most celebrated poets (18th century), and grew up in a musical household. But she was not a performing musician. Bouyagui spent his childhood with his maternal uncles and their families (the ehel Nghaimich), none of whom were performing musicians. Obsessed with music, Bouyagui taught himself the guitar, using the instrument his father gave him in the summer of 1973. He never learned the traditional tidinitt repertoire of shwar (melodies), even though his musical idol was his paternal uncle, Sid Ahmed Bekaye ould Awa, a tidinitt virtuoso.
Bouyagui gave his first public performance in the summer of 1978. Soon after he left high school, he travelled to Guelmim in southern Morocco with his mother. They spent three months in Guelmim. It was his mother's first big trip. To celebrate the event she gave one of her only public performances, accompanied by her son Bouyagui. From Guelmim, Bouyagui travelled to Nouakchott, settling in the capital city, determined to make a name for himself as an artist. He started to perform regularly around Nouakchott and to travel, in particular to Nouadhibou, at the invitation of Mohammed Bouya ould Cheikhna ould Ely Cheikh ould Momma, a member of a celebrated and powerful religious family from Atar. Mohammed Bouya, nicknamed Biyé, became Bouyagui's most generous and faithful patron, showering him with money and giving him his first car. To this day, Bouyagui remains faithful to his friend Biyé.
Ooleya mint Amartichitt and Bouyagui ould Nevrou
In the summer of 1988, Bouyagui made his most famous recordings. He was traveling to Nouakchott from Laayoune, in southern Morocco, via the Canary Islands and intended to break up the trip with a two-day layover in Las Palmas. Upon arrival in the capital of Gran Canaria, however, Bouyagui's hosts told him that Dimi mint Abba was summering on the island. His hosts invited both artists to perform together. Bouyagui ended up spending several weeks in Las Palmas and performing six evenings of Hawl with Dimi. Each of these evenings were recorded and quickly circulated in Nouakchott. These recordings are uniformly good and helped spread Bouyagui's reputation throughout Mauritania.
Bouyagui has a more intimate relationship with two of Mauritania's other great female singers. In 1986, he married Ooleya mint Amartichitt. She is the only singer to have rivalled Dimi in talent and popularity. In January 1987, Ooleya gave birth to their daughter, Mneitou mint Nevrou. Today, Mneitou is one of Mauritania's biggest stars, perhaps second only to Dimi's little sister Gharmi mint Abba. I first saw Mneitou perform, accompanying her mother, when she was 15 years old; she was already a ferociously talented singer.
In recent years, Bouyagui has become more selective about the musical invitations he accepts and he performs less frequently than he did a decade ago. He still travels, mostly to southern Morocco, to honor invitations from patrons he has known for decades.
Download Bouyagui ould Nevrou
This cassette recording captures an intimate performance from the late 1990s. Bouyagui performs solo, accompanying himself on guitar. You can hear the comments and encouragements of his hosts throughout his relaxed and intimate performance. Bouyagui takes his time. His voice becomes more expressive as the evening unfolds. Enjoy this rare recording from one of Mauritania's great male vocalists of the late 1990s-early 2000s.
This post is based on an interview with Bouyagui ould Nevrou.
Enjoy!
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