Éditions N. Sabbah label was one of a dozen or so postwar record labels that emerged in Morocco in the final years of the 78 rpm era. While the Casablanca-based outfit was closely associated with the young Jewish musician Albert Suissa, whose initials can be seen at the top of this particular record, it also carried a diverse range of other voices. Among the many Jewish artists who recorded for N. Sabbah before the switch to vinyl were Braham Souiri and David Abikzer. Muslims who lent their talents to the label included aita artist Hamid Ould Elhaja. It should also be noted that N. Sabbah, like its competitor Olympia, also released a number of Hebrew records.
This record, “Ughniyya Sayyid Muhammad al-Khamis” (The Song of Sayyid Muhammad the Fifth), likely released in 1955-1956, was one of a number of nationalist songs performed by Suissa which heaped praise on the Moroccan sultan. Among other things, the song narrates the sultan’s exile at the hands of the French and celebrates his return to the throne and Morocco itself at the end of 1955––an event which all but guaranteed Moroccan independence in 1956.
Notes
Label: N. Sabbah
Title: Ughniyya Sayyid Muhammad al-Khamis / اغنية السيد محمد الخامس
Artist: Albert Suissa
Issue Number: 45
Matrix Number: PIGN 45 1G; PIGN 46 1G
Date of Pressing: c. 1955-56
Gharamophone 