Mohamed Hamri: Difference between revisions

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			{{Short description\|Moroccan artist (1932–2000)}}
	'''Mohamed Hamri''' (]-]) was a ] painter and one of the few Moroccans to participate in the ] ] scene as an equal. He was born in ] in the Northern Moroccan town of ], the nearest town to ], at the southern end of the Rif Mountains. His father was a ] artist who painted his pieces following an ancient tradition. Hamri's mother was born into a family of Joujouka musicians. Hamri attended school for a short time but disliked it. Whenever Hamri ran away from school he went to his uncle's house in Joujouka. His uncle was the leader of the musicians there and the music of Joujouka had a strong effect on Hamri. As a boy he often danced as ] in a costume sewn from goatskins.
			]]]
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			{{Use mdy dates\|date=August 2013}}
			{{Infobox person
			\| name = Mohamed Hamri
			\| image = Hamri.jpg
			\| caption = Mohamed Hamri
			\| birth_name =
			\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1932\|08\|27}}
			\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2000\|8\|29\|1932\|8\|27}}
			\| birth_place = ], Morocco
			\| occupation = Painter, author, music producer, songwriter, restauranteur
			\| years_active =
			\| known_for = ]
			\| movement = Beatnik
			\| spouse = Blanca Hamri
			\| website =
			}}

			'''Mohamed Hamri''' (August 27, 1932 – August 29, 2000), commonly known as '''Hamri''', was a ] painter, restauranteur, and author; he helped write and produce Sufi music. Self-described as "The painter of Morocco,"<ref>''Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb'',(Tangier, Morocco February 15, 2002)</ref> Hamri was one of the few Moroccans to participate in the ] ].<ref>Obituary of Hamri from ''The Independent'' (London, October 19, 2000)</ref>
	After World War II, life in Joujouka was very difficult as there was very little food available. Hamri helped the musicians avoid this famine by bringing them to Tangier to play. One day, when Hamri was fifteen years old, he was killing time outside the train station in Tangier by drawing in the dust on the ground. He was approached by the American writer ] who admired his drawing. This fateful meeting was Hamri's introduction to the sophisticated set of ] that was attracted to Tangier. Bowles soon employed him as a cook. Paul and his wife Jane encouraged Hamri to paint and bought him his first set of ]s.

			== Early life and family ==
	The following year he befriended the Canadian painter ], who became his mentor. They had a joint exhibition in ] where Hamri sold all his works and Gysin sold none. Gysin was introduced to the music of Hamri's mother's village ] and became a life-long promoter of the ] trance master musicians who lived there. Together with Gysin he set up the ''1001 Nights Restaurant'' in Tangiers and employed the ] to play there.
			He was born in 1932 in ], a village at the southern end of the ] near ], in northern Morocco.<ref>Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy Terence, ''Hamri the painter of Morocco'', (Tangier, 2004), p. 2.</ref><ref>Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy, Terence,''A Dictionary of the Painters of tangier 1669-2003'', (Tangier, 2003), P.144</ref> His father was a ] 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 ].<ref>Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy Terence, ''Hamri the painter of Morocco '', (Tangier, 2004)pp 1–3,</ref>

			Hamri is father to ], the first Moroccan woman to direct a Hollywood movie.
	In ] he brought ]' ] to Joujouka to record. The resulting ], ''Brian Jones presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka'', was released on Rolling Stones Records in ]. In ] he arranged ]'s visit to Joujouka, and the collaboration between Coleman, local musicians, and journalist/musician ] was recorded for Coleman's '']'' LP, on which it appears as the track "Midnight Sunrise." From 1974-79 Hamri lived and painted in ]. In ] his book ''Tales of Joujouka'' was published by Capra Press in ]. From 1980 onwards, he divided his time between Tangier and Joujouka. In 1992 he participated in ''The Here to Go Show'' in ], ]. This show was documented in the documentary ''Destroy all Rational Thought'' and was a celebration of Willaim Burroughs, Brion Gysin and the Tangier Beat Scene. In ] he supervised Frank Rynne's recording of the CD ''Joujouka Black Eyes'' by ].

			==Career==
	He had over fifty exhibitions of his paintings in Morocco, ], ], the ], and Ireland. Hamri continued to promote the music of Joujouka until his death in ] ]. He is buried in the centre of the village, close to the tomb of Sidi Achmed Sheich.
			Hamri helped the Master Musicians of Joujouka survive by bringing them to Tangier to play. In 1951, writer ] met the 18-year-old Hamri at Tanger train station.

			He later met the painter ]—inventor of the ]—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 lifelong promoter of the ] 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.<ref>Greene, Michelle, "The Dream at the End of the World", (New York, 1991), p.123, p.201</ref> In 1958, Gysin bought out Hamri's interest in the restaurant for $10,000 but he soon lost the restaurant himself.<ref>Greene, Michelle, ''The Dream at the End of the World'', (New York, 1991), p.201</ref>
	His posthumous reputation as a painter is growing, and a recent retrospective was held at the the Laurence-Arnott Gallery in Tangier.

⚫	== External ~~link~~ ==
⚫	*

			He soon opened a new ''1001 Nights'' in ]—40 km south of Tangier—where he first met ] and subsequently brought him to Zahjouka.<ref name="Clandermond, Andrew 2004 p.9">Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy Terence, ''Hamri the painter of Morocco '', (Tangier, 2004), p.9</ref>

			==Meeting with Brian Jones==
			] founder and multi-instrumentalist ] met Hamri when he visited Morocco in 1967. They then developed a close friendship.<ref name="Clandermond, Andrew 2004 p.9"/> In 1968, Gysin and Hamri took Jones to the village to record the master musicians in the ground-breaking release ], whose original cover featured a painting of Jones and the Master Musicians of Joujouka by Hamri before a 1990s redesign.{{Citation needed\|date=March 2009}}<ref>Sleeve Note Brian Jones presents the Pipes of Pan at Jououka, Rolling Stones Records, 1971</ref>

			In 1975, Hamri's book ], 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 ].<ref>Hamri, Mohamed, ''Tales of Joujouka'', (Santa Barbara, 1975)</ref>
⚫	]

⚫	]
			], Capra Press, 1975 showing Boujeloud/Pan]]
			From 1980 onwards, Hamri divided his time between Tangier and Zahjouka. After the death of Hadj Abdesalam Attar his son ] continued his father's group's music with ]. 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 ], Ireland. The show, a celebration of ], Brion Gysin and the Tangier beat scene, was documented in the documentary ''Destroy all Rational Thought'', directed by ] and ]. In 1994 Hamri arranged for the ] to record their first CD release '']''. The recording was produced by Frank Rynne under Hamri's supervision.<ref>Campion, Chris, "Night Spirit Masters" ''The Wire'', August 1995</ref>

			Hamri had over 50 exhibitions of his paintings in ], Spain, ], Canary Islands, Germany, United States, UK and Ireland during his lifetime.<ref>Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy Terence, ''Hamri the painter of Morocco '', (Tangier, 2004), pp 39–42.</ref>

			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==
			{{Moroccan literature}}

			* Hamri is characterised as "Hamid" in Brion Gysin's novel '']''
			* '']'' is Hamri's stories from his ] 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

			==See also==
			*'']''
			*'']''

			==References==
			{{Reflist}}

			==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). . ''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==
			*
			* .
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			{{authority control}}

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Latest revision as of 19:15, 18 January 2025

Moroccan artist (1932–2000)

Mohamed Hamri
Mohamed Hamri
Born	(1932-08-27)August 27, 1932 Jajouka, Morocco
Died	August 29, 2000(2000-08-29) (aged 68)
Occupation(s)	Painter, author, music producer, songwriter, restauranteur
Known for	Sufi music
Movement	Beatnik
Spouse	Blanca Hamri

Mohamed Hamri (August 27, 1932 – August 29, 2000), commonly known as Hamri, was a Moroccan painter, restauranteur, and author; he helped write and produce Sufi music. Self-described as "The painter of Morocco," Hamri was one of the few Moroccans to participate in the Tangier Beat scene.

Early life and family

He was born in 1932 in Jajouka, a village at the southern end of the Rif Mountains near 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.

Hamri is father to Sanaa Hamri, 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 Bowles 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 lifelong 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.

Meeting with Brian Jones

Rolling Stones founder and multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones 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.

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, Ireland. 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 Joujouka to 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.

Books

Moroccan literature
List of writers Women writers Moroccan literature Arabic Tamazight
Moroccan writers
Novelists Playwrights Poets Essayists Historians Travel writers Sufi writers
Forms
Novel Poetry
Criticism and awards
Literary theory Critics Literary prizes
See also
El Majdoub Awzal Choukri Ben Jelloun Zafzaf El Maleh Chraîbi Mernissi Leo Africanus Khaïr-Eddine Qamari
Morocco Portal Literature Portal
v t e

Hamri is characterised as "Hamid" in Brion Gysin's novel The Process
Tales 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

References

Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb,(Tangier, Morocco February 15, 2002)
Obituary of Hamri from The Independent (London, October 19, 2000)
Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy Terence, Hamri the painter of Morocco, (Tangier, 2004), p. 2.
Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy, Terence,A Dictionary of the Painters of tangier 1669-2003, (Tangier, 2003), P.144
Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy Terence, Hamri the painter of Morocco , (Tangier, 2004)pp 1–3,
Greene, Michelle, "The Dream at the End of the World", (New York, 1991), p.123, p.201
Greene, Michelle, The Dream at the End of the World, (New York, 1991), p.201
^ Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy Terence, Hamri the painter of Morocco , (Tangier, 2004), p.9
Sleeve Note Brian Jones presents the Pipes of Pan at Jououka, Rolling Stones Records, 1971
Hamri, Mohamed, Tales of Joujouka, (Santa Barbara, 1975)
Campion, Chris, "Night Spirit Masters" The Wire, August 1995
Clandermond, Andrew, MacCarthy Terence, Hamri the painter of Morocco , (Tangier, 2004), pp 39–42.

External links

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