Folklore
Known as people’s art, folklore is a reflection of their culture, customs and traditions. Indeed, it is an art through which one can discover the various aspects of the human civilization and the evolution of the nations’ life.
On this basis, Morocco is rich by the diversity of its popular arts. Every region is characterized by its own music, its own dances as well as its specific instruments of accompaniment.
Berber folklore
Sahraoui folklore
Al Haouz folklore
Attawlif folklore
Popular art.
This explains the richness and diversity of the popular artistic heritage which remains an irrefutable reality in the Moroccan culture and civilization.
www.ucam.ac.ma/fnap-aga
Andalusian music
With the fall of Granada (1492), Fez, Tetouan, Rabat and Oujda inherited a precious Andalusian musical heritage. This kind of music occupies a prominent position as far as the use of (AlAla) is concerned. It is abided by the Arab prosody and the classical metrics.
Andalusian music is a synthesis of the oriental artistic heritage inherited from Islam and the Arabic language in addition to the
Hispano-Moresque legacy.
Mûsiqa andalussiyya is an artistic tradition firmly anchored in urban areas. Its great interpreters: Haj Mohamed Jaïdi and Abdessadek Chaqqara sing about God, love, nature and mystical drunkenness.
Andalusian music includes eleven modes and uses either bowed or plucked instruments: violin, viola, lute, rébab, European medieval rebec or zither, in addition to tar and derbouka.
Historically speaking, this music moved from an antiquated stage, between the 9th and 13th century, to a more technical art under the influence of Ziryab, a Baghdad musician of the 9th century.
Arabo-Andalusian music gave rise to several styles of music such as: Mouwashshah, Zajal, Kharja and Nouba.
Al Malhoun
If Al Ala is the music of the elite and posh families, Al Malhoun, however, is common in popular areas and among and craftsmen.
Etymologically, the word Al Malhoun comes from "Lahana" meaning: not to conform to the rule.
For craftsmen, it is the only means to break with work monotony.
Al Malhoun would be originating from the very refined local popular songs since it is a production of the zajal.poetry.
The practice of Malhoun started spreading since the 10th century of hegira. Nevertheless, facts show that it is first of all a literary creation in the form of Quassida of Zajal. Earlier, Malhoun took root in popular areas, constituting a source of joy for craftsmen and workers and the basic animation in feasts and weddings.
Its rise took place in Tafilalet which was the birth place of its first masters before migrating towards other regions of the country. Jazouli Zaouia in Marrakesh, Sidi Abdelkader Alaouite Mausoleum in Meknès and Sidi Frej Zaouia in Fes contributed to the development of this type of music. Popular songs and Andalusian music continued to positively influence Malhoun, which was inspired at first by melody before being left influenced by the Andalusian rhythm. It is the deff which granted to Malhoun its rhythmic feature before being substituted by taârija.