Those in the know, know Sliman Elmaghribi. Elmaghribi, born
Sliman Benhamou in Meknes, came to define the Moroccan sound in Jaffa in the
1950s and 1960s. And that sound was nothing if not ubiquitous. It could be
heard at once blasting from the Azoulay’s shop near the center of town and
wafting out of the rough and tumble night clubs - the hamara - dotting the
city’s alleyways. There were the Andalusian practitioners there to be sure but Tel
Aviv’s better half also drew in those who were ready to sing about their more
contemporary experiences in hybrid styles all their own. Sliman, difficult to
categorize, falls somewhere into all of this. The ultra-talented singer and
oudist was both a major recording star for the Zakiphon label and a musician’s
musician who sometimes slipped under the radar. He knew and loved Cheikh Mwijo,
indeed the two played together back in Morocco, but seemed to avoid some of his
friend’s more extroverted qualities. He was adored by the masters of a previous
generation, like Zohra El Fassia and Samy Elmaghribi, and yet never adopted the
honorific that so many of his peers were bestowed. What can be said for sure is
that Sliman Elmaghribi was prolific and accomplished, putting out album after
album for decades and attracting more and more fans along the way.
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| Young Sliman Elmaghribi (far left) with Maalem David Ben Haroush and Jacob Zerad |
His “Yaffo Zint Elbldan” (roughly translated as Jaffa the
Beautiful) gives us a slice of what all of this sounded like. It is his homage
to the city he spent so much time in and grew to love - despite its very real
problems. As you listen to this track, try to put yourself in its time. Imagine
yourself winding your way to an address best found by looking for landmarks and
not numbers. As you enter the smoke-filled venue, recall that the Kuwaiti
brothers are somewhere nearby entertaining Iraqi audiences. Order a round of
beers and pickled vegetables as Sliman sets up with his orchestra. Close your
eyes as he begins to strum. Yaffo Zint Elbldan for you and for others is now
the city’s unofficial anthem.