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The first mothers of rock
Ancient African rhythms still cast a hypnotic spell
For The Prague Post (April 29, 2004) When Malika Mahjoubi dances at the edge of the stage, her poise, voice and movement embody a universal invitation to joy. Featuring acoustic instruments coupled with telepathic group improvisation, B'Net (Girls of) Marrakech's concerts easily equal the more intense musical moments associated with rock and jazz. These women sing about the realities of life backed by the distinct hypnotic syncopation of Berber song. Berber music is one of North Africa's oldest musical fusions, with melodies and rhythms enhanced by influences ranging from the Mediterranean to sub-Saharan Africa. Unlike in Europe, where the Inquisition labeled women with mystical interests as witches and dragged them to the stake, in Morocco women's ecstatic musical societies have been tolerated since antiquity. Over the centuries these groups, known as Aissawa, have traditionally performed at weddings, henna parties and the anniversaries of local revered mystics.
Like flamenco and jazz, Berber music refuses to be placed in a museum case and continues to evolve new, dynamic urban forms. And many of the artists taking the music to international audiences abroad are women who have performed it in both sacred and secular settings. B'Net Marrakech is squarely in this tradition. "Mostly they do marriages; they entertain the guests of the married couple until 2 or 3 in the morning," says the group's manager, Christian Ledoux. This is fun but hard work for the band, he adds. "Before the ceremony the women prepare the bride, which takes all day. And then they go to the wedding ceremony." All, of course, accompanied by music. In the last few years, the women of B'Net Marrakech have also successfully taken their music to Canada, Europe and Malaysia, via concerts and their CD Chama'a on the Marseilles-based label L'Empreinte Digitale. The way the members of this quintet weave their voices makes the sound carry over extraordinarily long distances. It was noted during their last Prague concert, at the palace gardens in Hradcanska, that they could be heard for several kilometers in every direction. Only the Rolling Stones' summer 2003 concert could boast such a long throw of sound. The difference is that these women need far less amplification for comparable effect. B'Net's concerts are best described as events during which people happily sway and dance to rhythmically precise, trance-inducing music. In fact, it's too bad the Rolling Stones can't be at B'Net's performance at Palac Akropolis. These women could still teach Mick and the boys a thing or two about how to rock 'n' roll.
Darrell Jonsson can be reached at
features@praguepost.com
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