Yassin Bakoush: The Pillar of Comedy Drama in Syria

Yassin Bakoush One of the pillars of comedy drama in Syria. It was launched in the sixties of the last century with Duraid Lahham, Nihad Qalei, Rafik Subaie, Naji Jabr, and others. He is best known for his performance of the character “Yassino” in “Sah al-Num” and “Salt and Sugar” and other works between cinema and television.

his artistic beginnings

child Yassin Abdel Qader Bakoush On October 23, 1938 in the Salihiya neighborhood in Damascus. His father, of Libyan origin, immigrated and settled in Damascus. Yassin studied at the Ayyubid School, one of the ancient Syrian schools. His passion for art began since childhood, and he got his chance in the free theater after its establishment in 1956. Two years later, he moved to presenting radio series, and in 1958 he presented a work entitled “Metib Effendi” directed by Tayseer Al-Saadi, after which he presented the Children’s Club on the radio.

Theatrical walk

he moved Yassin Bakoush From the free theater to the puppet theater in 1960, which was managed by Abdul Latif Abu Fathi, and from it to the National Theater, where he became an active member, as he performed on his stage a large number of important plays. In 1968, Yassin Bakoush founded the “Al-Shawk Theater”, and Duraid Lahham adopted it a year later, when he presented the first show entitled “Mirrors”, then the show “Jerk”, and the two works were directed by Duraid Lahham. He participated in “Braveez”, which was directed by Asaad Fadda. In 1974, the Al-Shawk Theater stopped, so Yaqosh established an artistic partnership with director Youssef Harb, and formed a troupe entitled “The Syndicate Gathering”, during which they performed about 30 theatrical performances, including “Tonight is my wedding”, “My love and the future of others” and “My wife is a millionaire”, which achieved great popular success.

TV and cinema

In addition to the theater, Yassin Bakoush presented many works on television and cinema, and the most famous character in his career was the character “Yassino”, which was very popular. In 1972, Baqoush presented, with director Shakib Ghannam, the series “Alleyah Al Mayelah”, after which he participated in the same year in the series “Sah Al Nom” in a new role.

Although he apologized for the role of Yasino, due to his preoccupation with the Al-Shawk Theater, he agreed later after the series’ writer, Nihad Qalai, convinced him that his character was not far from the Al-Shawk Theater, and that it embodied the good Arab people.

He gave up the Yasino character

Yassin Baqosh abandoned the character “Yassino” after 29 years, and he embodied a new figure in the series “Al -Batrani” in 2001, and the series “The last time students”, which was shown in the same year, and in 2003 he participated in “Saif Bin Dhi Yazan” with Asaad Fadda, Abdul Hakim Qutaifan and Qais Sheikh Najeeb. He participated in the series “Bahloul Aqel Al-Majanoon – Part Two” in 2008, and in a recent comedy series, “Sayeeen Dayeen” in 2011.

His posts in the cinema

Yassin Bakoush participated in a number of cinematic films, including the 1969 movie “Ghazlan” alongside Naji Jabr and Hani Al-Saadi. He participated in “The Fox” in 1971 alongside Najah Hafeez and Hala Shawkat, starring and written by Nihad Qalai.

He also participated in three films in 1972, which are “Maqlab Hob” alongside Rafik Subaie and Talhat Hamdi, “Apartment and a Million Keys” and “Journey of Love”. The following year, he had an appearance in the movie “Bride from Damascus”, co-written and directed by Mohammed Salman.

In 1974, Yassin Bakoush participated in five films: “Antara Knight of the Desert” written and directed by Muhammad Salman, “James Bond’s Love,” “The Gypsy in Love,” “The Five Impostors” alongside Nour al-Sharif and Bossi, and “Private Loves,” alongside Khaled Taja

In the 1980s, he appeared in several films, including “Haret Al-Anatara” in 1980 alongside Fouad Ghazi and Naji Jabr, and “Please Do Not Enter” in 1984 alongside Ahmed Rafi, Muhammad Khair Al-Halawani and Fouad Ghazi, and “Summer Rains”, which was shown in the same year to By Samar Sami and Rashid Assaf

In the new millennium, he appeared in “Haret Al-Tanabar” in 2000 alongside Muhammad Khair Al-Halawani and Fouad Ghazi, and “The Laughing Man” in 2002 alongside Zuhair Abdel-Karim and Issam Abba Ji, “Damascus with My Love” in 2011 alongside Khaled Taja and Asaad. Fadda and Faris Al-Helou, directed and written by Mohamed Abdel Aziz. The last work he appeared on the screen was the series “Laqta Baqalata”, which was shown in 2016.

his arrest

In 2012, Yassin Bakoush was arrested by the Syrian authorities after he got involved in a quarrel and argument with a traffic police patrol, accusing him of mocking the authority, so he was arrested for three months, but the solidarity of his colleagues prompted the union to intervene to release him.

His relationship with Duraid Lahham

Yassin Bakoush refused to participate in the series “The Return of Ghawar”, because the creators of the work wanted the character “Yassino” to appear as a conspirator against Ghawar, which Bakoush considered as a distortion of the simple and kind “Yassino” personality that the audience loved.

He was offered a role in the series “Dreams of Abu Al-Hana”, but he refused despite the tempting offer of one million and 200,000 Syrian pounds and his need for money to pay off his debts for the sole reason that the role is absurd.

Yassin revealed during an interview that he refused to work after reading the text because the character of Yassino, which Duraid Lahham tried to present him with, was bad, unlike the one he presented with Nihad Qalai in “Sah al-Num” and other works, so it was a symbol of the personality of the good Arab people, and he said that his relationship with Duraid Lahham is Only a fellowship relationship and there is no technical relationship because each of them has a different point of view.

He refused to work in the Egyptian dialect

In 1974, while he was in Cairo, director Adel Sadek, who was the director of the second channel on Egyptian television, offered the actor Yassin Bakoush to play a role in an Egyptian series entitled “The Mongoose”, but he refused to participate after reading the text because what is required is that he perform his role in the Egyptian dialect and because he believes that he will not perform. role correctly.

his personal life

Yassin Baqoush married an Egyptian woman in the city of Damascus and had 11 children, the eldest of whom was Haitham, a civil engineer, and the youngest, Nihad.

his death

The artist, Yassin Bakoush, was killed on the twenty-fourth of February 2013, after his car was hit by a shell in the Al-Asali neighborhood in the Yarmouk camp in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and he was taken out of the car before it was completely burned. in Syria for his funeral.

Honor him

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad awarded the late artist Yassin Baqoush the Syrian Medal of Merit of the Excellent Class, and the official news agency SANA reported that al-Assad issued Decree No.