Introduction
Welcome back. In our previous lesson, we deconstructed Morocco's complex linguistic soundscape, identifying the social functions and contexts of its various languages and dialects. We established how the choice of language in film can be a potent sonic marker for region, class, and social affiliation.
This lesson builds directly on that foundation, moving from the spoken word to the broader world of music and tradition. Our goal is to address the learning outcome: Identify key cultural and ethnic groups in Morocco and their associated sonic markers (e.g., specific musical genres, traditions). While Morocco is a nation of overlapping and fluid identities, we will focus on several distinct cultural pillars whose sonic signatures are fundamental to the country's soundscape: the indigenous Amazigh peoples, the historically sub-Saharan Gnawa, and the multifaceted Arab-Andalusian heritage.
For your PhD work, understanding these sonic identities is not just a matter of cultural appreciation; it is a critical analytical tool. The musical genres, ritual sounds, and specific instruments associated with these groups are powerful carriers of history, memory, and cultural politics. When a filmmaker incorporates these sounds, they are engaging with deeply rooted notions of authenticity, resistance, spirituality, and belonging.
1. The Amazigh: The Sound of Indigeneity and Modernity
As we discussed in the last lesson, the Amazigh people are the indigenous inhabitants of North Africa. Their identity is profoundly tied to language (Tamazight, Tashelhit, Tarifit) and to a deep connection with the mountainous and rural landscapes of Morocco. Their music is not a monolith but a diverse collection of regional styles that has also become a vehicle for cultural and political expression.
To begin, let's explore the broader question of Amazigh identity and its historical context.
Who are the Berber of Morocco? - Full Documentary
The documentary 'Who are the Berber of Morocco?' provides a concise overview of the genetic, linguistic, and cultural history of the Amazigh people. It helps situate their identity within the broader Moroccan context.
Please watch the first segment of the video (00:00 - 01:21). Focus on how it frames the Amazigh as the indigenous population and introduces the complexity of 'Arab' vs. 'Amazigh' identity from a historical and genetic perspective.
The music of the Amazigh peoples is as diverse as their geography. However, certain traditions and instruments are widely recognized. These include communal dances like the Ahidous of the Middle Atlas and the Ahwash of the High and Anti-Atlas, often featuring a call-and-response structure between male and female performers accompanied by frame drums (bendir).
In the post-independence era, Amazigh music has also been central to a cultural revival movement, asserting Indigenous rights against state-led Arabization policies. This has led to the emergence of modern musical groups who blend traditional sounds with contemporary genres.
Ben Jones - Recording Lightning: Popular Music and the Amazigh ...
To understand this fusion of music and activism, we will read an excerpt from the article 'Recording Lightning: Popular Music and the Amazigh Cultural Movement of the 1970s' by Ben Jones. It details the pioneering role of the band Ousmane.
Please read the 'Introduction' and the section titled 'Ousmane: Modernizing Amazigh Music'. Focus on: How Ousmane combined Indigenous folk music with 'modern' technologies and a political platform. Their explicit goal of moving beyond a 'folklore' label to assert Amazigh culture as a living, developing part of Moroccan national identity. Their use of electric instruments alongside traditional ones and their conscious effort to sing in different Amazigh dialects.
Key Amazigh Sonic Markers:
- Instruments: The bendir (frame drum), the loutar (a four-stringed plucked lute), and the ribab (a one-stringed bowed fiddle, especially among the Rways artists of the Souss region). In modern fusion, these are often combined with electric guitars and keyboards.
- Vocal Style: Often characterized by call-and-response patterns, collective singing, and poetic lyrics that speak of the land, social issues, and identity.
- Genre Examples: Ahidous, Ahwash (traditional); Tagroupit or "Amazigh fusion" (modern, activist music pioneered by bands like Ousmane and Izenzaren).
2. The Gnawa: Sub-Saharan Roots and Spiritual Trance
The Gnawa are a distinct ethnic and cultural group, primarily descendants of enslaved people and migrants from sub-Saharan West Africa. Their identity is inextricably linked to a unique spiritual tradition and a powerful, hypnotic musical style that has gained global recognition.
Gnawa music is not simply performance; it is a ritual practice. At its core is the lila (night), an all-night ceremony of music and dance designed to heal individuals believed to be afflicted by spirits.
The documentary 'Compass: The world of Gnawa' offers an immersive look into this cultural universe. It explains the history, spiritual significance, and key sonic elements of Gnawa music.
Please watch the following segments from the video: Introduction (00:00 - 01:20): Introduces the Gnawa and their history. Mystical Trance (03:02 - 04:38): Explains the trance-inducing nature of the music. The Instruments (06:09 - 09:01): Details the central instruments, the guembri and krakebs. The Lila Ritual (09:25 - 11:41): Describes the structure and purpose of the healing ceremony. Focus on the unique sound of the instruments and the social and spiritual function of the music.
The video you just watched highlights the core sonic palette of Gnawa. The academic article "Moroccan Multiplicities" allows us to place this within a theoretical framework, linking the Gnawa experience to concepts of historical memory and diaspora.
Moroccan Multiplicities - OpenEdition Journals
The article 'Moroccan Multiplicities' applies Paul Gilroy's theories to the Gnawa, offering a deep reading of their music as a form of cultural memory.
Please read paragraph 6 of the article. You can find it by searching for the phrase 'The memories (lived and prosthetic) of slavery'. Read from there to the end of the paragraph. Focus on how the author connects the history of slavery to the Gnawa lila ceremony and how their music embodies a 'double consciousness' and an 'African aesthetic' within the Moroccan soundscape.
This concept of music as a "somatic memory of slavery" is crucial. The sounds of the Gnawa are not just aesthetic choices; they are an archive of a traumatic history, transformed into a practice of healing and community cohesion.
Key Gnawa Sonic Markers:
- Instruments: The guembri (or sintir/hajhouj), a three-stringed bass lute with a percussive, buzzing tone, which represents the master's voice. The krakebs (or qarqabat), large iron castanets that produce a relentless, clattering rhythmic pattern.
- Structure: Repetitive, cyclical melodic and rhythmic phrases designed to induce a state of trance (jadba).
- Vocal Style: Call-and-response chanting, with lyrics that invoke spirits, saints, and the history of the Gnawa people, often using words from Bambara and other West African languages.
3. Arab-Andalusian and Popular Traditions
While we distinguish between Amazigh and Gnawa identities, the majority of Moroccans identify as Arab or Arab-Amazigh, reflecting centuries of intermingling. This broad category encompasses a vast range of musical traditions, from the highly refined to the raw and popular.
A. Andalusian Classical Music
This tradition is the legacy of the musical culture that flourished in Al-Andalus (medieval Muslim Spain) and was brought to North Africa by refugees after the Reconquista.
- Social Context: Historically, this was the music of the urban elite, particularly in cities like Fes, Tetouan, and Rabat. It is considered a "high art" form.
- Sonic Markers: Performed by large orchestras featuring instruments like the oud (lute), rebab (a different, two-stringed fiddle from the Amazigh version), violin, and darbouka (goblet drum). It is structured around complex suites called nūbāt. Its sound is refined, melodic, and highly structured.
B. Chaabi: The "Popular" Sound
Chaabi literally means "popular" and refers to a wide range of Moroccan folk music genres. It is the music of celebration—of weddings, festivals, and parties.
- Social Context: Ubiquitous across the country, it's a music of the people that varies significantly by region.
- Sonic Markers: Characterized by complex, driving rhythms and often raw, powerful vocals. Instrumentation can include violins (played in a folk style), oud, bendir, and in modern forms, keyboards and drum machines. The sound of chaabi is energetic, dance-oriented, and deeply embedded in social life.
C. Fusion and Transmarocanité
As Morocco modernizes, contemporary artists are creating new sounds that defy easy categorization. They draw on all of these traditions—Amazigh, Gnawa, Chaabi, Western rock, reggae, and hip-hop—to forge new identities. The "Moroccan Multiplicities" article explores this through the concept of transmarocanité.
Moroccan Multiplicities - OpenEdition Journals
Let's return to 'Moroccan Multiplicities' to see how modern bands fuse these traditions. This section analyzes the groups Haoussa and Darga.
Please read the section 'Nouvelle Scène Artists in Morocco,' starting from paragraph 14 and focusing on the descriptions of the bands Haoussa and Darga (up to paragraph 27). Pay attention to: How they explicitly blend different musical traditions (e.g., Aïssawi Sufi tradition with reggae and funk). How they use their music to engage with a multifaceted Moroccan identity that is simultaneously Arab, Amazigh, and African.
These fusion artists demonstrate that cultural identity in Morocco is not a fixed set of boxes but a dynamic process of borrowing, blending, and re-invention. Their music is a sonic testament to the country's complex, layered identity.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we have populated Morocco's soundscape with the sounds of its people. We have moved from the geography and languages of the country to the musical and ritual traditions that give it a unique sonic soul.
Key Takeaways:
- Amazigh Music as Identity: The sounds of the Amazigh people are diverse, ranging from traditional folk genres like Ahidous to modern, politically-charged fusion music that became a cornerstone of the Amazigh Cultural Movement.
- Gnawa Music as History and Healing: The hypnotic rhythms of the guembri and krakebs are more than music; they are a spiritual technology and a living archive of a history of enslavement and resilience, embodying an "African aesthetic" within Morocco.
- A Spectrum of Arab-Identified Music: This category spans from the refined, elite sounds of Andalusian classical music to the raw, celebratory energy of popular chaabi music.
- Sonic Markers as Analytical Tools: Each of these traditions has a distinct sonic palette. Recognizing these instruments, vocal styles, and rhythmic patterns in a film's soundscape will allow you to analyze how a director is constructing or commenting on cultural identity, authenticity, and history.
You are now equipped with a foundational understanding of the primary physical, linguistic, and cultural-sonic layers of the Moroccan soundscape. This tripartite knowledge will be the bedrock of your analysis of sound in Moroccan cinema.
Preview of the Next Lesson:
Having established the socio-sonic context, we will turn our attention to the creators themselves. The next lesson will focus on: "Identify key Moroccan filmmakers whose work is notable for its use of sound and soundscapes." We will begin to connect our theoretical knowledge to the actual practice of filmmaking in Morocco.