Icon of humor in his country, the one nicknamed Abderraouf – named after his emblematic character – died overnight from Sunday to Monday at the age of 86.
Abderrahim Tounsi, Moroccan figure of humor, died in the night from Sunday to Monday at his home in Casablanca, at the age of 86. The union of theater professionals announced it to the Moroccan press agency MAP.
According to Morocco Observer, the one the public nicknamed Abderraouf died following a long heart disease. He had been admitted to the Cheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nayhan hospital in Casablanca two months ago for discomfort.
“Best Moroccan humorist of the 20th century”
Born in 1936, Abderrahim Tounsi enjoyed success in the 1960s by creating the character of Abderraouf, from which he would become inseparable. Morocco Weekly describes a hilarious and simple character, who has become so popular that he has crossed the generations and that his name is now used in everyday language to qualify a naive person.
The Moroccan media also evoke a politically committed personality: still according to Morocco ObserverAbderrahim Tounsi was imprisoned for a year in the early 1950s for supporting the movement against the French and Spanish protectorates. The morning reports that it was during his year behind bars that he would have discovered his passion for the theater.
Abderrahim Tounsi’s career has also taken him to the cinema, according to the Moroccan media Releasewith movies like The chauffeur, majid and Ba Larbi’s bicycle. He was named the best Moroccan humorist of the 20th century by the Nights of Arab Humor Foundation in Antwerp in 2011.
