The
music of Morocco ranges and differs according to the various areas of the country.
Andalusian classical music
Morocco is home to
Andalusian classical musicAndalusian classical music is a style of Arabic music found across North Africa, though it evolved out of the music of Andalusia between the 9th and 15th centuries, during a period known as Al-Andalus....
that is found throughout North Africa. It probably evolved under the
MoorsThe description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim people of Berber, Black African and Arab descent from North Africa, some of whom came to conquer and occupy the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. The North Africans termed it Al Andalus, comprising most...
in
Cordoba||-||-||}Córdoba is a city in Andalusia, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. Located at 37.88° North, 4.77° West, on the Guadalquivir river, it was founded in ancient Roman times as Corduba by Claudius Marcellus...
, and the Persian-born musician
ZiryabAbu l-Hasan ‘Ali Ibn Nafi‘ , nicknamed Ziryab , was a Persian or Kurdish polymath: a poet, musician, singer, cosmetologist, fashion designer, celebrity, trendsetter, strategist, astronomer, botanist and geographer...
is usually credited with its invention. Ziryab invented the nuba, a suite which forms the basis of
al-âlaSurat Al-ʿAlā is the 87th sura of the Qur'an with 19 ayat.- Summary :Sura * was said to be one the favorite suras of Muhammad...
, the primary form of Andalusian classical music today, along with Gharnati and
MalhunMalhun meaning the melodic poem is an Algerian and Moroccan music that borrows its modes from the Andalusian music...
.
There used to be twenty-four nuba linked to each hour of the day, but only four nuba have survived in their entirety, and seven in fragmentary form. An entire nuba can last six or seven hours and are divided into five parts called
mizan, each with a corresponding rhythm. The rhythms occur in the following order in a complete nuba:
- basît (6/4)
- qaum wa nusf (8/4)
- darj (4/4)
- btâyhi (8/4)
- quddâm (3/4 or 6/8)
Each mizan begins with instrumental preludes called either
tuashia,
m'shaliya or
bughya, followed by as many as twenty songs (
sana'a) in the entire mizan.
Andalusian classical schools are spread across Morocco, having left Spain when the Moors and Jews were driven out of the country.
ValenciaValencia is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 810,064 in 2008. It is the 22nd-most populous municipality in the European Union and 35th-most populous urban area in the European Union with a...
's school is now in Fez, while
GranadaGranada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain.- Overview :The city of Granada is placed at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, Beiro, Darro and Genil, at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
's is located in
TetouanTétouan , also spelled Tetuan, sometimes Tettawen or Tettawin, is a city in northern Morocco. It is the only open port of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about 40 mi E.S.E. of Tangier. In 2004 the city had 320,539 inhabitants...
and
ChefchaouenChefchaouen or Chaouen is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the chief town of the province of the same name, and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue....
. Cities like
TangierTangier or Tangiers [
pronounce] is a city of northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000...
and
MeknesMeknes is a city in northern Morocco, located from the capital Rabat and from Fes. It is served by the A2 expressway between those two cities and by the corresponding railway. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail , before it was relocated to Marrakech. The...
have their own orchestras as well.
Jews in Morocco played an important role in the perpetuation of this oral tradition. In fact, Rabbi David Bouzaglo was known to have a conservatory of sorts in Casablanca where a number of Muslim and Jewish musicians trained in al-Ala.
Andalusian classical music uses instruments including
oudThe oud is a pear-shaped, stringed instrument, which is often seen as the predecessor of the western lute, distinguished primarily by being without frets, commonly used in Middle Eastern music.-Name:The words "lute" and "oud" are both suspected to be derived from the...
(
luteLute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
), rabab (
fiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, including the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
), darbouka (goblet drums),
taarijaA taarija is a Moroccan drum, single skin and tube, played singly, unlike the tabla, which is a pair of drums....
(
tambourineThe tambourine or Marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils"...
),
qanúnQanun refers to laws promulgated by Muslim sovereigns, in particular the Ottoman Sultans, in contrast to shari'a, the body of law elaborated by Muslim jurists. It comes from the Greek word kanon...
(
zitherThe zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
) and kamanjah (
violinThe violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
). Other instruments have included
pianoThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
s,
banjoThe banjo is a stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments.The name banjo is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza...
s and
clarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet...
s, though none of these instruments lasted for long.
Andalusian classical music orchestras are spread across the country, including the cities of Fez,
TetouanTétouan , also spelled Tetuan, sometimes Tettawen or Tettawin, is a city in northern Morocco. It is the only open port of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about 40 mi E.S.E. of Tangier. In 2004 the city had 320,539 inhabitants...
, Chaouen,
TangierTangier or Tangiers [
pronounce] is a city of northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000...
,
MeknesMeknes is a city in northern Morocco, located from the capital Rabat and from Fes. It is served by the A2 expressway between those two cities and by the corresponding railway. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail , before it was relocated to Marrakech. The...
,
RabatRabat , population 2 million , is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region....
and
CasablancaCasablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean...
.
Gharnati
Gharnati is found in both Morocco and Algeria, primarily popular in
RabatRabat , population 2 million , is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region....
and
OujdaOujda is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of half a million. The city is located about 15 kilometers west of Algeria and about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean Sea...
in Morocco. It is arranged in nuba like al-âla; there are four unfinished nuba and twelve complete ones. Orchestras consist of kvîtra,
mandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It is descended from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family...
,
banjoThe banjo is a stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments.The name banjo is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza...
, oud and kamenjah. The word "Gharnati" comes from the Andalusian city of
GranadaGranada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain.- Overview :The city of Granada is placed at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, Beiro, Darro and Genil, at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
.
Berber music
There are three varieties of Berber folk music: village and ritual music, and the music performed by professional musicians.
Village music is performed collectively for dancing, including ahidus and
ahouach dances. Instruments include
fluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind group. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s and
drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
. These dances begin with a chanted prayer. Ritual music is performed at regular ceremonies to celebrate
marriageMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
s and other important life events. Ritual music is also used as protection against evil spirits. Professional musicians (
imdyazn) travel in groups of four, led by a poet (
amydaz). The amydaz performs improvised poems, often accompanied by drums and rabab (a one-stringed
fiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, including the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
), along with a
bou oughanim who plays a
double clarinetThe term double clarinet refers to any of several woodwind instruments consisting of two parallel pipes made of cane, bird bone, or metal, played simultaneously, with a single reed for each...
and acts as a
clownClowns are comical performers, stereotypically characterized by their grotesque appearance: colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, red-nose, etc., who entertain spectators by acting in a hilarious fashion. The types of their acts varies greatly...
for the group.
The
ChleuhThe Chleuh people are a Berber ethnic group. They live mainly in Morocco's Atlas Mountains and Souss Valley. The Chleuh population is estimated to be approximately 10,000,000.They speak the Tashelhiyt language in several regional varieties...
Berbers have professional musicians called
rwais who play in ensembles consisting of
luteLute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
s, rababs and
cymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s, with any number of vocalist. The leader, or
rayes, leads the
choreographyChoreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
and music of the group. These performances begin with an instrumental
astara on rabab, which also gives the notes of the
melodyA melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
which follows. The next phase is the
amarg, or sung poetry, and then
ammussu, a danced overture,
tammust, an energetic song,
aberdag, a dance, and finally the rhythmically swift
tabbayt. There is some variation in the presentation of the order, but the
astara always begins, and the
tabbayt always ends.
Chaabi
Chaabi الشعبي (
popular in English) is a music consisting of numerous varieties which are descended from the multifarious forms of Moroccan folk music. Chaabi was originally performed in markets, but is now found at any celebration or meeting.
Chaabi songs typically end with a
leseb, or swift rhythmic section accompanied by syncopated
clappingA clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often in a constant drone to express appreciation or approval , but also in rhythm to match sounds in music and dance...
.
A sophisticated form of chaabi evolved in the 1970s competing with popular
EgyptianThe music of Egypt has been an integral part of Egyptian culture since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians credited one of their Gods Thoth with the invention of music, which Osiris in turn used as part of his effort to civilize the world...
and
LebaneseThe music of Lebanon has a long history. Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, has long been known, especially in a period immediately following World War II, for its art and intellectualism. Several singers emerged in this period, among the most famous Fairuz, Sabah, Wadih El Safi, Majida El...
music. These chaabi groups consisted of a
luteLute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
and a hadjuj, with some form of drum. Eventually, new instruments like
buzukBuzuk may refer to:* Albanian word for Bouzouki, a chordophone used in folk music* Andrija Buzuk, 1891-1894 provincial superior of the Franciscan province Bosna Argentina...
s and
electric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current, which is made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker. The signal that comes from the guitar is sometimes electronically altered with guitar effects such as...
s were added. The three most important early groups were Lemchaheb,
Nass El GhiwaneNass el Ghiwane,ناس الغيوان, is a musical group appeared in the late 60's in Morocco. Whenever mentioned in the Western literature, they are referred to as The Rolling Stones of Africa, as American producer Martin Scorsese once put it...
and
Jil JilalaJil Jilala is a Moroccan musical group which rose to prominence in the 1970s among the movement created by Nass El Ghiwane and Lem Chaheb. Jil Jilala was founded in Marrakech in 1972 by performing arts students Mohamed Derhem, Moulay Tahar Asbahani, Sakina Safadi, Mahmoud Essaadi, Hamid Zoughi and...
. All three bands featured politicized lyrics that got the songwriters in trouble with the government.
The 1980s saw a new wave of modernizing bands like Muluk El Hwa and Nass El Hal.
Gnawa
- Main article: Gnawa
Gnawa or Gnaoua refers to an ethnic group and a Sufi religious order in Morocco, in part descended from former slaves from Sub-Saharan Africa or black Africans who migrated in caravans with the trans-Saharan trade, or a combination of both.-Etymology:The name appears to originate from the Saharan...
and/or Gnawa musicGnawa music is a mixture of sub-Saharan African, Berber, and Arabic religious songs and rhythms. It combines music and acrobatic dancing. The music is both a prayer and a celebration of life...
Gnawa music is considered a
mysticalMysticism is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those experiences or...
music. It was gradually brought to Morocco by Sub-Saharan Africans and later became part of the Moroccan tradition.
The ritual of the gnawa (or gnaoua) follow rules, that are part from the
muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
sufi tradition and partly of African animistic origin similar to the traditions that are found in the
africaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
n diaspora,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
,
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
,
HaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic, it occupies the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago...
and so forth. The centre of the ritual is the so-called "leelah" (the night), also called "derdeba", the night of
tranceTrance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.The term "trance" may be associated with meditation, magic, flow, and prayer...
. Here the seven spirits are evoked through around 100 chants. Especially in the Muslim month of
Sha'abanSha'aban is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar.This is the month of ‘separation’, so called because the pagan Arabs used to disperse in search of water...
, which is just before
RamadanRamadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured; from dawn until sunset...
, there are "leelahs" held in the gnawa community.
Malhun
Milhûn is a form of sung poetry which uses many of the same modes and instruments as al-âla. A milhûn suite comprises two parts, the
taqsim overture played on an oud or violin in a free rhythm to introduce the mode for the rest of the piece, followed by the
qassida, or sung poem which is itself divided into three parts. These are the solo verses (
al-aqsâm), choral refrain (
al-harba) and crescendoing chorus that completes the suite (
al-dîdka).
Thami Lamdaghri is perhaps the best-known milhûn composer, known for songs like "Al-Gnawi" and "Aliq Al-Masrûh".
Milhûn orchestras include oud, kamenjah, darbuka, handqa (small
cymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s), hadjouj (a bass lute) and swisen (a high-pitched lute).
Rai
Rai is more closely associated with
AlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean sea, the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area.It is bordered by Tunisia in...
in the international music scene, but Morocco has produced its own stars like Cheb Mimoun and Hanino. Especially in the eastern
regions of MoroccoRegions of Morocco As part of a 1997 decentralization/regionalization law passed by the legislature 16 new regions were created. It is the current highest administrative division of Morocco. The regions are subdivided into a total of 61 second-order administrative divisions, which are prefectures...
Oujda and Berkane the Rai-style has gained a lot of popularity in the beginning of the early 90s. The two major cities in the east of Morocco,
BerkaneBerkane is a city in the northeastern Morocco in the area of Thrifa, limited by the Mediterranean to its north, the Kiss Oued and the wilaya of Oujda in the east, the wilaya of Nador in the west and the wilaya of Taourirt in the south. This common belongs to the wilaya of Oujda...
and
OujdaOujda is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of half a million. The city is located about 15 kilometers west of Algeria and about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean Sea...
have become centres of the new revived Rai-style in Morocco. The huge presence of Algerian-born people in the East is the major factor of popularity.
Sufi music
Sufi brotherhoodsSufism or ' , also spelled as tasavvuf and tasavvof, is generally understood to be the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ' , though some adherents of the tradition reserve this term only for those practitioners who have attained the goals...
(
tarikas) are common in Morocco, and music is an integral part of their spiritual tradition, in contrast to most other forms of Islam, which do not use music. This music is an attempt at reaching a
trance stateAn altered state of consciousness, , also named altered state of mind is any condition which is significantly different from a normal waking beta wave state. The expression was used as early as 1969 by Charles Tart and describes induced changes in one's mental state, almost always temporary...
which inspires
mystical ecstasySpiritual ecstasy is an altered state of consciousness characterized by greatly reduced external awareness and expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness which is frequently accompanied by visions and emotional/intuitive euphoria...
. The brothers hold hands in a circle and chant or dance. Sufi music is usually without rhythm.
MarrakechMarrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Red City", is an important and former imperial city in Morocco...
and other regions in southern Morocco are home to the
Gnawa BrotherhoodGnawa or Gnaoua refers to an ethnic group and a Sufi religious order in Morocco, in part descended from former slaves from Sub-Saharan Africa or black Africans who migrated in caravans with the trans-Saharan trade, or a combination of both.-Etymology:The name appears to originate from the Saharan...
, which claims descent from the
EthiopiaEthiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast. Its size is 1,100,000 km² with an...
n
muezzinA muezzin , or muzim, is a chosen person at the mosque who leads the call to Friday service and the five daily prayers from one of the mosque's minarets .The professional muezzin is chosen to serve at the mosque for his good character, voice...
Sidi BilalBilal ibn Rabah or Bilal al-Habeshi was an Ethiopian born in Mecca in the late 6th century, sometime between 578 and 582.The Islamic prophet Muhammad chose Bilal as his muezzin, effectively making him the first official muezzin of the Islamic faith...
. Gnaoua ceremonies (
derdeba) are used to protect against
mental illnessA mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture. The recognition and understanding of mental disorders has changed over time and...
,
scorpionScorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. There are about 2,000 species of scorpions, found widely distributed south of about 49° N, except New Zealand and Antarctica...
stings and malicious spirits. Derdeba may be related to
Sub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
n ceremonies and use a long-necked lute of African origin called the guembri, as well as
castanetCastanets are percussion instrument , mostly used in Moorish, Ottoman, ancient Roman, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American music. The instrument consists of a pair of concave shells joined on one edge by string. These are held in the hand and used to produce clicks for rhythmic accents...
s called qaraqab.
The Jilala are another brotherhood, known for their hypnotic and otherworldly music. They are devotees of Moulay Abdelkader Jilali. Instruments include the
bendirThe bendir is a frame drum used as a traditional instrument throughout North Africa, more specifically in Morocco...
(
frame drumA frame drum is a drum that has a drumhead diameter greater than its depth. Usually the single drumhead is made of rawhide or man-made materials. Shells are traditionally constructed of bent wood scarf jointed together; plywood and man-made materials are also used. Some frame drums have mechanical...
) and qsbah (
fluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind group. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
).
Other brotherhoods include Hamadcha (founded by Sidi Ali ben Hamdouch), Aissaoua (founded by Sidi Mohamed ben Aissa, Derkaoua, Haddaoua, Cherkaoua, Dar Damana (the Sufi saints of Ouezzane). A well-known local cult is in village of
JajoukaJajouka, Joujouka or Zahjoukah is a village in the Ahl-Srif mountains in the southern Rif, Morocco. The mountains are named after the Ahl-Srif tribe who populate the region.-The musical heritage:...
in the Ahl Srif Mountains, home of music group, Master Musicians of Jajouka. This cult commonly flourished near the sanctuary of a local saint. Jajouka musicians play healing music said to be written by their ninth century patron saint Sidi Achmed Schiech. They also perform a ritual called Boujeloud which is likened to the worship of the God
PanPan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the companion of the nymphs, god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein, meaning "to pasture". He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same...
.
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