Moroccan lute player Said Chraibi dies aged 65
Chraibi was born on 2 February 1951 in the city of Marrakesh. He began playing the oud, or lute, at the tender age of 13 and went on to become known as the ″King of the Lute″.
As a contemporary musician, Chraibi’s lute-work mixed musical styles from Turkey, Iran, and Arab-Andalusia. Specifically, his contributions in developing Arab-Andalusian played a major role in the revival of the genre.
The musician first received international recognition for his work through his performances at the Festival of Sacred Music in Fez. He went on to achieve several national and international awards in his lifetime, including the 1986 gold medal for lute in Baghdad, the 1992 Granada Music Award in Paris, a 1994 Order of Merit from the Cairo Opera House, the 2002 Golden Lute award in Rabat, and the 2002 Ziryab talent award from UNESCO. (Morocco World News)