English Liner Notes from the CD

Andalusian branch of classical arab music

The Morrockan Music

Maroccan music emerged from a fusion of Arabian music and
native musical style. This fusion is less noticeable in Morocco,
however, than in the other North African countries, since most
Moroccans are of Berber origin. These aboriginal Berbers
have lived very isolated and, therefore, have kept their own
millenary traditions.

Unlike folk music, the more sophisticated Arabian music had
separated very early from dance music, and had become a
learned music for scholars, the refined art of a civilized and
cultured society, an art which flourished only in cities. After
the fall of Granada. Morocco had gathered the Andalusian
heritage and taken care of it. Moroccans may have imported a
touch of awkwardness to it. but, on the other hand, they have
given it a more virile accent due to the fact that most of the
townsfolk had come from the country and the mountains.

Therefore, Morocco differs from the other North African
countries: a fundamental and constant contrast is to be
observed between two ways of thinking, two types of
expression, belonging to two different races that - although
spiritually linked by Islam - have kept their own traditions,
their own language and their own genius; and that is why we
find two distinct musics in Morocco nowadays. The Arabian
classical music - traditionally called ala (instrument) because
it stresses the part of instrumental music - makes use of the
metres of the classical Arabic prosody (kalam mawzûn) and
usually horrows from Andalusian neo-classical poetry
(zajal-s and mûwashah-s); beside this traditional music,
there is griha (the word comes from the Arabic qariha and
means creation, improvisation). The poems set to this folk
music discard the rules of prosody, syntax and declension. The
true language of common people (kalam malhûn) is used in
these songs, which, being colourful and richly inventive, are
apt to entertain the man of the street, and help him forget his
daily worries.

A great profusion of compositions derive from either of these
two styles of music. In Morocco, as well as in the other North
African countries, if the intense musical activity gave birth to
the brotherhoods' religious chants, it also produced lullabies,
nursery rhymes, music for ritual dancing, for processions and
so on...

The Arabian classical music played an important part in
Morocco at the time of the Al Moravids. The great Andalusian
artist Abû Bakr Sayagh was received with great honours at
their court. If music was neglected in the reign of the
AlMohades (1147-1221), the interest for it started all the more
at the time of the Merinids, especially aher the arrival of a
great numher of Andalusian artists, who had been driven out
of Spain hy the "Reconquista". All Moroccan cities received a
certain numher of refugees, and every one of these cities has
kept an important part of the learned music which had given
such brilliancy to the Andalusian civilization.
Contemporaneous with the "Reconquista" is the birth of
religious brotherhoods that were to tuke cure of this music
and to make it widely known throughout the country, und
even beyond, as far as the borderline of the Sahara. Among
these brotherhoods a special mention is to be made regarding
the Aïssawas, who played an important part in the keeping
and promoting of traditional music, since they were present at
the different stages of the people's lives, without mentioning
their performances in religious ceremonies, and their weekly
musical performances in many Zawias (monasteries).

Under the Sa'adi, musical creativity went on striding ahead: in
their very reign, a new musical mode "Alistihlal" was
introduced into traditional music by ElHadj Allal AlBatta,
who, as he was travelling in Orient, was inspired by the rast
mode, commonly used there. His most valuable contribution
to the Moroccan heritage is a whole nawbah composed in
this mode.

Abderrahmane Ban AbdelKader ElFassi, who lived under the
Alawits, is considered to be the composer of certain passages
of the nawbah rast-dhil, and the author of the changed text
of the nawbah raml-maya, which thus, from being secular art
music, became a religious chant. This nawbah is sitll played
to the "Borda", a poem by Bûssairi, in praise of the Prophet.
Therefore, it belongs now to the repertoire of the
Mûssammi'ins, who specialize in the interpretation of
religious chants.

Still belonging to the same period are: Cheikh Belkacem Ben
Zakkûr, Cheikh Abdelkrim Ben Zakkûr, who is said to be the
composer of some passages of the bsit raml maya, and who
had compiled a whole book of mûwashah-s and qasidah-s,
in which the musical modes of the compositions were
mentioned Cheikh Hadj Haddou Ben Djellûn, who is said to
have composed Qayem Unoss of the Nawbah Ghribet
ElH'sin, and had also founded a school of music in Fez
together with his assistants Rachid Djemli, Mohamed Sabban
and Mekki Mahrrûsh. Among their pupils we must mention
Cheikh Ibrahim Tadli from Rabat and Cheikh Abdessalam
Brihmi.

Finally, and for the same period, we must quote the name of
Mohamed Ben Hassan ElHayek who, in 1788, wrote the
famous treatise in which he described the twenty-five modes
in traditional music and their use in the eleven known
Nawbah-s. Mastering the contents of this musical treatise is a
must for all that play or study ala music. Both professionals
and amateurs will find in it everything they need to deepen
the knowledge they have already acquired by oral
transmission.

In 1932 Morocco sent an important delegation to the first
international Congress of Arabian Music in Cairo. It was led
by Mohamed Shûika and Omar ElJaadi, the latter of whom
had won the admiration of King Mohamed V to the point that
he was asked to live at the Palace. In 1937 these two musicians
founded the Society of Andalusian Music Amateurs, which was
masterly directed by ElHadj Idriss Ben Djellûn, who helped
them in collecting the still-existing Andalusian heritage.
Thus, they were able to record eight whole nawbah-s out of
the eleven ones.

In addition to these Masters we must mention the name of
Cheikh Ben Abdessalam ElBrihi. Born in the second half of
last century, he studied Andalusian music with his father and
contemporaneous masters. He transmitted his knowledge to
masters such as Abdelkrim Rayes (born in 1912) and Cheikh
Mohamed ElÛkili (born in 1909), who was the conductor in
charge of traditional music on the Moroccan Broadcasting
Company for a long time. One of his most talented pupils was
Mohamed ElArbi Temsamani, who conducted the Tetuan
orchestra for many years. Two more names must be retained
with regard to traditional Andahisian music in Morocco, those
of ElHadj Mohamed Ben Nûna and of Master ElArbi El
Wazzani.

On this record you will find the musical performance given by
the numerous delegation sent by his Majesty King Mohamed
V to represent Morocco at the first international Congress of
Arabian Music in Cairo.

We want to save from oblivion this authentically traditional
Andalusian music played by undisputed masters, so that new
generations might find a way back to the sources of a major
art which is the Andalusian Music.

M.E. Hachelaf
Algiers 1982

after «Anthologie de la musique arabe»
published by Publisud - Paris. Translated by M. Stoffel
Adapted for the web by Lars Fredrikson with the kind
permission of M. Hachelafs son, Amin Hachelaf.
Copyright remains with the author!