{{Short description|Algerian singer, dancer and actress (1952–2025)}} {{Sources|biography|date=November 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Biyouna | native_name = {{nobold|بيونة}} | native_name_lang = ar | image = Biyouna Cannes 2011.jpg | caption = Biyouna in 2011 | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1952|09|13}} | birth_place = Belcourt, Algiers, French Algeria | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2025|11|25|1952|09|13}} | death_place = Algiers, Algeria | genre = {{hlist|Raï|pop|pop rock}} | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|dancer|actress|comedian}} | years_active = 1973–2025 | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|goblet drum}} | label = Warner | website = | birth_name = Baya Bouzar }}
'''Baya Bouzar''' ({{langx|ar|باية بوزار}}; 13 September 1952 – 25 November 2025), known by the stage name '''Biyouna''' ({{lang|ar|بيونة}}), was an Algerian singer, dancer and actress.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/33788|title=بيونة الجزائرية الحرّة|work=الأخبار|access-date=5 February 2018|language=ar}}</ref>
==Early life== Biyouna was born on 13 September 1952 in the Belcourt neighbourhood of Algiers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nossiter |first=Adam |date=30 November 2025 |title=Biyouna, Algerian Star With Tart Tongue Onscreen and Off, Dies at 73 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/obituaries/biyouna-dead.html |access-date=2 December 2025 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Having a very early passion for singing, she was a member of several groups: first in Fadhéla Dziria's group where she played tambourine, another that she directed with her partner Flifla, and finally her own where she was the main vocalist and became sought after for wedding receptions.
At the age of 17, she began performing in some of the biggest cabarets in the city and at 19 started dancing at the Copacabana.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}
==Acting career== That same year, the director Mustapha Badie gave her a singing part in his first soap opera, ''La Grande Maison (1973)'', where she played Fatma. This show was adapted from a novel by Mohamed Dib. She became well-known thanks to this role.
She appeared in two Algerian films: ''Leila and the others'', by Sid Ali Mazif in 1978, and ''The Neighbor'', by Ghaouti Bendedouche in 2000. She also performed some one-woman shows. <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Vivalaldjerie.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Biyouna in Viva Laldjérie{{puic|1=Vivalaldjerie.jpg|log=2009 June 4}} ]] --> In 1999, Nadir Moknèche offered her the role of Meriem in ''Madame Osmane's Harem'' which she produced in France. This film was followed by ''Viva Laldjéri'' in 2003.
Between 2002 and 2005, Biyouna had success with a trilogy based on the theme of Ramadan called ''Nass Mlah City.''
She appeared in the last film of Nadir Moknèche, Délice Paloma (2007), where she played the main character, a mafiosa named Madame Aldjeria. In 2006, she performed the role of Coryphée in Sophocles' Elektra beside Jane Birkin in an opera directed by Philippe Calvaio. In 2007, she had a small role in the Algerian film ''Rendez-vous avec le destin''.
In 2009, she played La Celestina at the ''Vingtième Théâtre'' in Paris. For Ramadan, 2010, Biyouna was one of the stars in a sitcom broadcast on Nessma TV, ''Nsibti Laaziza''.
==Musical career== Meanwhile, she continued her singing career, and in 2001 issued the album ''Raid Zone'', produced with the composer John Bagnolett. After the success of this album and her participation in Jérome Savary's ''Opéra de Casbah'' she brought out another album called Blonde dans la casbah. She had been planning this album for some time. Biyouna took her time, carefully choosing a Franco-Algerian repertoire which explored both cultures.
==Personal life and death== Biyouna lived with her husband and four children in a suburb of Algiers.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}} She died on 25 November 2025, at the age of 73.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.echoroukonline.com/la-star-de-la-comedie-algerienne-biyouna-tire-sa-reverence|title=La star de la comédie algérienne Biyouna tire sa révérence|first=رشال|last=حمدي|date=25 November 2025}}</ref>
==Discography== *2001: ''Raid Zone'' *2007: ''Blonde dans la Casbah''
===Singles=== *"Pamela" (2001) *"Les yeux noirs" (2002) *"In her eyes" (2002) *"Tu es ma vie" (2002) *"Maoudlik" (2003) *"Taali" (2006) *"Une Blonde Platine dans la Casbah " (2007) *"Demain tu te maries" (2007) *"Merci pour tout (c'que j'n'ai pas)" (2007) *"El Bareh" (2008) *"Tsaabli ouetmili" (2008)
==Filmography== [[File:La source des femmes Cannes 2011.jpg|thumb|Biyouna in the 2011 Cannes Film Festival]]
===Films=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 1978 || ''Leila et les autres'' |||| |- | 1979 || ''Le Chat'' |||| |- | 1999 || ''Le Harem de madame Osmane'' || Meriem || |- | 2001 || ''La voisine'' |||| |- | 2003 || ''Viva Laldjérie'' || Papicha || |- | 2004 || ''Beur blanc rouge'' || Mother of Wassila || |- | 2005 || ''Rue des figuiers'' || Fatima || |- | 2007 || ''Delice Paloma'' || Madame Aldjeria/Zineb Agha || |- | 2008 || ''Garçon manqué'' || Nana || |- | 2009 || ''Aïcha'' || Biyouna || |- | 2010 || ''Bacon on the Side'' || Houria || |- | 2010 || ''Holiday'' || Eva Lopez || |- | 2011 || ''Aïcha 2'' || Biyouna || |- | 2011 || ''The Source'' || The Old Gun || |- | 2011 || ''Beur sur la ville'' || Khalid's mother || |- | 2011 || ''Aïcha 3'' || Biyouna || |- | 2012 || ''Aïcha 4'' || Biyouna || |- | 2013 || ''Cheba Louisa'' || || |- | 2013 || ''Mohamed Dubois'' || || |- | 2013 || ''Les Reines du ring'' || || |- | 2014 || ''Amour sur place ou à emporter : le film !'' || || |- | 2018 || ''Le Flic de Belleville'' || Zohra || |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 1973 || ''La Grande Maison'' || Fatma || |- | 2003 || ''Grand plongeoir, Le'' || Herself || |- | 2003 || ''Nass Mlah City'' |||| 32 episodes |- | 2004 || ''Nass Mlah City 2'' |||| 32 episodes |- | 2006 || ''Nass Mlah City 3'' |||| 55 episodes |- | 2007 || ''La Commune'' || Hanifa Houbeyche || first season |- | 2007 || ''On n'est pas couché'' || || 1 episode |- | 2009 || ''Nessma TV (Zorroh)'' || Zohra || |- | 2010 || ''One person show'' || Biyouna || 30 episodes |- | 2012 || ''La Baie d'Alger'' || || |}
===Theater=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 2009 || ''La Celestina'' || Célestine || |- | 2012 || ''Biyouna !'' || Biyouna || in Théâtre Marigny |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0084670}} * {{discogs artist|Biyouna}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081010031434/http://www.algeriades.com/news/previews/article1810.htm Biyouna] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080211110417/http://www.delicepaloma-lefilm.com/ Delice Paloma] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071121172734/http://biyouna.mondomix.com/fr/portrait3319.htm Biyouna, l'algéroise de Belcourt] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070127044949/http://www.humanite.presse.fr/journal/2001-11-10/2001-11-10-253245 Biyouna, une artiste en liberté] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071121172734/http://biyouna.mondomix.com/fr/portrait3319.htm Portrait Mondomix Biyouna] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061125144655/http://www.africultures.com/index.asp?menu=affiche_artiste&no=116 Portrait Africulture]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Biyouna}} Category:1952 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Algerian film actresses Category:Musicians from Algiers Category:21st-century Algerian actresses Category:Algerian television actresses Category:Algerian stage actresses Category:20th-century Algerian actresses Category:20th-century Algerian women singers Category:21st-century Algerian women singers Category:Algerian women comedians