Nass El Ghiwane

Formed in the late 60s, this Moroccan group's repertoire contained self-composed poetry in the Melhoun style set to venerated musical forms, such as Sufi chants and Zaouias litanies. The band members sing and play various string and percussion instruments, including guembri, lute, bendir, derbouka, daadou', ta'rija and tbila. Strikingly in post-colonial Morocco, the lyrics explored contemporary political chicanery and injustice. The founders of Nass El Ghiwane were Laarbi Batma (b. 1948, Oulad Bouziri, Chaouia, Morocco, d. 1998), Boujemaa Hagour, Omar Essayed and Allal Yaala...