Sounds of Drâa Valley, Morocco WAV
We collaborated with producers, field recordists and composer/performers Susie Ibarra and Jake Landau to record a collection of percussion, flute and strings from 5 traditional artist groups from the Southern Drâa Valley. These groups feature Def, Akalal, Ganga, Hassani, Gnawa and Desert Blues. Produced in collaboration with Joudour Sahara Music Program, Playing for Change Foundation, and Aziza Chaouni Projects, the collection of sounds was recorded in M’Hamid El Ghizlane, the last oasis in the Southern Draa Valley of southeastern Morocco.
“The Southern Drâa Valley, because of its liminal localization at the crossroads of ancient caravan routes and at the edge of the Sahara desert, has a unique cultural heritage, is influenced by Sub-Saharan, Arabic and Amazigh traditions. A key stop along the salt and gold caravan routes, M’hamid for centuries has seen bands of nomads from Senegal, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Algeria, and further east from the Arab world not only pass through on their way to Marrakesh to bring gold from Timbuktu and goods from other areas, but settle within the oasis of the Drâa River as it provided opportunity to build a livelihood around the plentiful date palm trees.”
“The traditional songs of the Drâa Valley are a result of the harmony between civilization and nature that characterize culture of the oasis, in which the harshness of the surrounding landscape and climate is counterbalanced by a collective management of natural resources, the efficient cultivation of arable land, and caravan trade. For several centuries, the Drâa Valley has played a central role in Moroccan cultural life, since it was the crossroad of Islamic civilizations coming from the Arab world, western civilizations coming from the Nord, and African civilizations coming from the South.” – quote from https://www.draaheritage.org
The Joudour Sahara Music Program is a NGO in M’hamid El Ghizlane whose mission is to preserve and promote the rich cultural and environmental heritage of the Draa River Valley. Joudour Sahara reaches more than 200 traditional musicians, 100 youth, and engages dozens of farmers in the region for a holistic approach to cultural and environmental conservation.
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