Aziz Chihal dies RIP

[LalaMimi]

Does anyone remember Studio Khumsa?

Aziz always seemed such an easy going chap on that show - shame he was dogged by those horrible rumours.




Overwhelmed by their deep sorrow and crying Aziz Chihal's death in his prime after a long fight with his fatal illness, a large number of journalists and artists, headed by Abdelhadi Belkhayat, carried the TV figure to his final destination.

“Aziz Chihal has died” is the sentence that spread so swiftly among journalists and artists. It was a shock. However, few people believed the news because the distinguished TV presenter had always been haunted by rumours that made his life really hard and could have cost him his career.

According to the rumours, he died many times, but this time unfortunately it was true.

Chihal survived the rumours and most importantly his illness, and carried on his work behind the camera, as a distinguished TV producer.

“The illness did not prevent Aziz from continuing and defending his ideas,” underlined el Hassan Neffali, the President of the National Union of Theatre Professionals, and President of the Moroccan Coalition for Cultural Diversity.

Chihal produced a number of successful TV programmes, mainly “Ana w Khuya w Mrato” (Me, my Brother and his Wife), “Dar Mi H'nia” (The House of Mother H'nia) and “Qitar el Hayat” (The Train of Life).

He was the first to introduce computing and the first to use Phone calls in TV programmes in Morocco. He was also the one who founded the Professional Association of Radio-Television in Morocco.

Aziz Chihal graduated from the National School of Public Administration and started his career in the Ministry of Interior. But in 1986 he left the ministry to work for the radio in a successful programme called Disco Night.

On TV, he first appeared when he replaced Mehdi Ouazzani in the then famous “Al Mussafir” TV programme.

The deceased founded his fame when he presented his TV programme “Studio 5”, which was broadcast on the first national channel (TVM), increasing thereby TVM audience at that time.

“He was the best TV presenter. His sheen mainly glowed when he presented Studio 5, before taking to production,” stressed el Hassan Neffali.

Chihal died with his quiver full of new ideas and projects to add to his rich professional history. He had just started shooting a new sitcom titled “This is my State”.

“The illness and the bitter experience I am going through have brought me nearer to the public and made me feel an emotion that I have never experienced,” he said in his last meeting with the public, during the awards presenting ceremony of the 2005 “Noujoum Biladi” (my Country's Stars).

[HOUDA-K]

OMGoodness. Yes, yes I remember him when he first started Studio 5.

Inna li lahi wa inna lerhioun.

[Ghazala]

Allah yrahmou.

I used to love him on Studio 5 - was a staple of my daytime viewing during the student days Terrible rumours about him being HIV and being dead. Poor guy.

[Larache4eva]

well was his death only a rumor or he really did? i mean i heared bout him died a long time ago like right after his show studio 5 then he never showed up so it went all over about his death, then i read about him in some newspaper hes stil alive