Mohamed Hamri
Encyclopedia
Mohamed Hamri commonly known as Hamri, was a self-described Painter of Morocco. He was a Moroccan
painter
and author
and one of the few Moroccans to participate in the Tangier
Beat scene
.
He was born in 1932 in Ksar-el-Kebir
in northern Morocco. His father was a ceramics
artist who painted his pieces following an ancient tradition. Hamri's mother was born into the Attar family of Zahjouka musicians. His uncle was the leader of the Master Musicians of Joujouka.
Hamir is father to Sanaa Hamri
, the first Moroccan woman to direct a Hollywood movie.
met the 18-year-old Hamri at Tanger train station. He later met the painter Brion Gysin
—inventor of The Cut-up technique
—who tutored him and introduced him to modern European painters. Gysin and Hamri had a joint exhibition in 1952. After Hamri introduced Gysin to the Zahjouka village, Gysin became a life-long promoter of the Sufi
trance master musicians who lived there. Together with Gysin, Hamri set up the "1001 Nights Restaurant" in Tangier with Hamri as cook and where Gysin employed the Master Musicians to play. In 1958 Gysin bought out Hamri's interest in the restaurant for $10,000 but he soon lost the restaurant himself. He soon opened a new 1001 Nights in Asilah
—40 km south of Tangier—where he first met Brian Jones
and subsequently brought him to Zahjouka.
met Hamri when he visited Morocco in 1967. They then developed a close friendship. In 1968, Gysin and Hamri took Jones to the village to record the master musicians in the ground-breaking release Brian Jones Presents The Pipes Of Pan At Joujouka
, whose original cover featured a painting of Jones and The Master Musicians of Joujouka by Hamri before a 1990s redesign.
In 1975, Hamri's book Tales of Joujouka
, which told stories from the village, including "The Legend of Boujeloud", the half-goat/half-man creature celebrated in the annual ritual, was published by Capra Press in Santa Barbara
.
From 1980 onwards, Hamri divided his time between Tangier and Zahjouka. After the death of Hadj Abdesalam Attar his son Bachir Attar
continued his father's group's music with The Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar. In a break from Morocco between 1974 and 1978 to pursue his painting career, Hamri published his Tales of Joujouka.
. The show, a celebration of William Burroughs, Brion Gysin and the Tangier beat scene, was documented in the documentary Destroy all Rational Thought, directed by Joe Ambrose and Frank Rynne
. In 1994 Hamri arranged for the Master Musicians of Joujoukato record their first CD release Joujouka Black Eyes
. The recording was produced by Frank Rynne under Hamri's supervision.
Hamri had over 50 exhibitions of his paintings in Morocco
, Spain
, Lebanon
, Canary Islands
, Germany
, United States
, UK and Ireland
during his lifetime.
He died in 2000 and is buried in the centre of the village, close to the tomb of the local Muslim saint Sidi Ahmed Sheikh. A recent retrospective was held at the Laurence-Arnott Gallery in Tangier. A large collection of his 1950s paintings has recently been discovered in the United States.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and one of the few Moroccans to participate in the Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
Beat scene
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
.
He was born in 1932 in Ksar-el-Kebir
Ksar-el-Kebir
Ksar el Kebir is a city in northwest of Morocco with 110,000 inhabitants, about 160 km from Rabat, 32 km from Larache and 110 km from Tangier....
in northern Morocco. His father was a ceramics
Ceramics (art)
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
artist who painted his pieces following an ancient tradition. Hamri's mother was born into the Attar family of Zahjouka musicians. His uncle was the leader of the Master Musicians of Joujouka.
Hamir is father to Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors of color.-Early life and breakthrough:...
, the first Moroccan woman to direct a Hollywood movie.
Career
Hamri helped the Master Musicians of Joujouka survive by bringing them to Tangier to play. In 1951, writer Paul BowlesPaul Bowles
Paul Frederic Bowles was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator.Following a cultured middle-class upbringing in New York City, during which he displayed a talent for music and writing, Bowles pursued his education at the University of Virginia before making various trips to Paris...
met the 18-year-old Hamri at Tanger train station. He later met the painter Brion Gysin
Brion Gysin
Brion Gysin was a painter, writer, sound poet, and performance artist born in Taplow, Buckinghamshire.He is best known for his discovery of the cut-up technique, used by his friend, the novelist William S. Burroughs...
—inventor of The Cut-up technique
Cut-up technique
The cut-up technique is an aleatory literary technique in which a text is cut up and rearranged to create a new text. Most commonly, cut-ups are used to offer a non-linear alternative to traditional reading and writing....
—who tutored him and introduced him to modern European painters. Gysin and Hamri had a joint exhibition in 1952. After Hamri introduced Gysin to the Zahjouka village, Gysin became a life-long promoter of the Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
trance master musicians who lived there. Together with Gysin, Hamri set up the "1001 Nights Restaurant" in Tangier with Hamri as cook and where Gysin employed the Master Musicians to play. In 1958 Gysin bought out Hamri's interest in the restaurant for $10,000 but he soon lost the restaurant himself. He soon opened a new 1001 Nights in Asilah
Asilah
Asilah or Arzila is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about 31 km from Tangier. Its ramparts and gateworks remain fully intact...
—40 km south of Tangier—where he first met Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
and subsequently brought him to Zahjouka.
Meeting with Brian Jones
Rolling Stones lead guitarist Brian JonesBrian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
met Hamri when he visited Morocco in 1967. They then developed a close friendship. In 1968, Gysin and Hamri took Jones to the village to record the master musicians in the ground-breaking release Brian Jones Presents The Pipes Of Pan At Joujouka
Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka
Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka was an album produced by Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. The album was a recording of the Moroccan group the Master Musicians of Joujouka, in performance on 29 July 1968 in the village of Jajouka in Morocco and released on Rolling Stones Records,...
, whose original cover featured a painting of Jones and The Master Musicians of Joujouka by Hamri before a 1990s redesign.
In 1975, Hamri's book Tales of Joujouka
Tales of Joujouka
Tales of Joujouka is a book by the Moroccan painter Mohamed Hamri containing eight stories featuring the legends, folkore and Sufi origins myths and rituals of the Master Musicians of Joujouka...
, which told stories from the village, including "The Legend of Boujeloud", the half-goat/half-man creature celebrated in the annual ritual, was published by Capra Press in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.
Bachir Attar
Bachir Attar is the leader of Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar. He is the son of Hadj Abdesalam Attar who led the group Master Musicians of Jajouka at the time of their groundbreaking album produced by Brian Jones.- Attar as the leader of The Master Musicians of Jajouka :Bachir...
continued his father's group's music with The Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar. In a break from Morocco between 1974 and 1978 to pursue his painting career, Hamri published his Tales of Joujouka.
1990s to 2000
On his return to Morocco Hamri built a new house in Zahjouka, which became a gathering place for the musicians. Using his reputation as an artist, he invited them to shows when only he had been invited to exhibit as a painter. In 1991 he brought the group to Italy. In 1992, Hamri participated in The Here to Go Show in Dublin, IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The show, a celebration of William Burroughs, Brion Gysin and the Tangier beat scene, was documented in the documentary Destroy all Rational Thought, directed by Joe Ambrose and Frank Rynne
Frank Rynne
Frank Rynne is an Irish-born singer, record producer, art curator, film-maker, writer, and historian. He has played in three bands Those Handsome Devils in 1984, The Baby Snakes and Islamic Diggers . He has produced three CDs of Moroccan folk music by the Master Musicians of Joujouka...
. In 1994 Hamri arranged for the Master Musicians of Joujoukato record their first CD release Joujouka Black Eyes
Joujouka Black Eyes
Joujouka Black Eyes is a CD by Moroccan Sufi trance musicians Master Musicians of Joujouka. It was released in May 1995 on Sub Rosa Records. It was produced by Frank Rynne and includes the song "Brian Jones Joujouka very Stoned" written by Joujouka born painter Mohamed Hamri. This song commemorates...
. The recording was produced by Frank Rynne under Hamri's supervision.
Hamri had over 50 exhibitions of his paintings in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, UK and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during his lifetime.
He died in 2000 and is buried in the centre of the village, close to the tomb of the local Muslim saint Sidi Ahmed Sheikh. A recent retrospective was held at the Laurence-Arnott Gallery in Tangier. A large collection of his 1950s paintings has recently been discovered in the United States.
Books
- Hamri is characterised as "Hamid" in Brion Gysin's novel The ProcessThe Process-Personnel:* Nivek Ogre* cEvin Key* Dwayne Goettel* Dave Ogilvie – mixing, guitar * Ken "Hi-watt" Marshall – mixing* Pat Sprawl – guitar * Philth – wave manipulation...
- Tales of JoujoukaTales of JoujoukaTales of Joujouka is a book by the Moroccan painter Mohamed Hamri containing eight stories featuring the legends, folkore and Sufi origins myths and rituals of the Master Musicians of Joujouka...
is Hamri's stories from his Sufi village in Morocco. - Man from Nowhere Storming the citadels of enlightenment with William Burroughs and Brion Gysin, by Ambrose, Rynne, Wison, features both information on and an article by Hamri.
- Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy Terence, Hamri the painter of Morocco , (Tangier,2004) Biography and reproductions of Hamri art
Further reading
- Ambrose, Joe; Wilson, Terry; and Rynne, Frank (1992). Man from Nowhere: Storming the Citadels of Enlightenment With William Burroughs and Brion Gysin. Autonomedia. ISBN 0-9520217-0-6.
- Hamri, Mohamed (1975), Tales of Joujouka. Capra Press.
- Palmer, Robert (March 23, 1989). "Into the Mystic". Rolling Stone.
- Palmer, Robert (October 14, 1971). "Jajouka: Up the Mountain". Rolling Stone, p. 39–40.
- Palmer, Robert (June 11, 1992). "Up the Mountain". Rolling Stone, p. 42–43.
- Ranaldo, Lee (August 1996). "Into The Mystic". The Wire
- Strauss, Neil (October 12, 1995). "The Pop Life: To Save Jajouka, How About a Mercedes in the Village?". The New York Times.
External links
- Feature article "A Rolling Stone's Moroccan Odyssey" Frank Rynne writes on Hamri, Brian Jones, Brion Gysin and The Master Musicians of Joujouka, Irish Times, 22 July 2008
- Obituary of Hamri from The Independent (London, 19 Oct 2000) pdf download of original article at bottom of text.
- Master Musicians of Joujouka site
- Guardian article on Tangier and interview with Hamri's widow Blanca Hamri on meeting her husband 22 April 2008