No, that’s not a musical rugby scrum:
the haidous is a complex circle dance
with musicians in the middle, often
performed in celebration of the
harvest.Music
Any trip to Morocco comes with its own syncopated soundtrack: women tapping out a beat with
tea glasses on brass trays, hawkers singing the praises of knock-off Armani right over the early
evening adhan (call to prayer), and the ubiquitous donkey-cart-drivers’ chants of Balek! – fair
warning that since donkeys don’t yield, you’d better, and quick. Adding to the musical mayhem
are beats booming out of taxis, ham radios and roadside stalls, and live music performances at
restaurants and weddings, on street-corners, and headlining at festivals year-round. For a
memory bank of Maghrebi music any DJ would envy, sample these varieties.
Classical Arab-Andalusian Music
Leaving aside the thorny question of where exactly it originated
(you don’t want be the cause of the next centuries-long Spain–
Morocco conflict, do you?) this music combines the flamenco-
style strumming and heartstring-plucking drama of Spanish folk
music with the finely calibrated stringed instruments, complex
percussion and haunting half-tones of classical Arab music. Add
poetic lyrics and the right singer at dinner performances, and you may find that lump in your
throat makes it hard to swallow your bastilla (pigeon pie).
You’ll hear two major styles of Arab-Andalusian music in Morocco: Al-Aala (primarily in Fez,
Tetouan and Salé) and Gharnati (mostly Oujda). The area of musical overlap is Rabat, where
you can hear both styles. Keep an eye out for concerts, musical evenings at fine restaurants,
and classical-music festivals in Casablanca and Fez, and look especially for performances by
Gharnati vocalist Amina Alaoui, Fatiha El Hadri Badraï and her traditional all-female orchestras
from Tetouan, and Fez Sacred Music Festival headliner Mohamed Amin el-Akrami and his
orchestra.
NOW HEAR THIS: MOROCCAN MUSIC FESTIVALS
Dates and locations may vary, so check www.maghrebarts.ma/musique.html for updates.
March Rencontres Musicales de Marrakesh (Classical), Tremplin (Urban music)
April Festival of Sufi Culture (Fez; www.par-chemins.org), Jazzablanca (Casablanca)
May Jazz aux Oudayas (Rabat), L’Boulevard (www.boulevard.ma), Mawazine Festival of World Music (Rabat;
http://www.festivalmawazine.ma)
June Festival of World Sacred Music (Fez; www.fesfestival.com), Gnaoua and World Music Festival (Essaouira;
http://www.festival-gnaoua.net), Jazz au Chellah (Rabat)
July Marrakesh Popular Arts Festival (www.marrakechfestival.com), Voix des Femmes (Women’s Voices; Tetouan), Festival
Timitar (Amazigh Music; Agadir); Festival du Desert (www.festivaldudesert.ma)
September Marriage Festival (Imilchil), TANJAzz (Tangier; www.tanjazz.org)
October Atlantic Andalusian Music Fest (Essaouira), Jazz in Riad Festival (Fez)Top of section