Djamila (Djohra Bachene)

Djamila, whose real name is Djohra Bachene, is an Algerian actress, presenter and singer of traditional Kabyle music. She was born on May 2, 1930 in Aït Bouhini, Algeria, and died on October 29, 2019 in Algiers.

Djohra Bachene, her real name, was born on May 2, 1930 in Aït Bouhini (Yakouren). Orphaned by her father at the age of 12, Djamila benefits from having met the Kabyle singer Chabha who takes her under wing and introduces her to the world of radio. It was in 1951 that she took her first steps on Channel II, an Algerian radio station in the Amazigh language. She will then join the Urar n’lkhalath women’s choir alongside Cherifa, Hnifa, Nouara and other great Kabyle singers. She wrote and performed many songs in the Kabyle musical style “Achewiq”.

In addition to her musical and radio career, Djamila began a career as an actress in cinema and television in 1962. She appears in particular in the films The Forgotten Hill by Abderrahmane Bouguermouh, Le Vent des Aurès by Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina and several TV films alongside Mohamed Hilmi. She died on October 29, 2019 in Algiers.