B'net Houariyat - Poèmes d'Amour des femmes du Sud Marocain (1994)

«B'net Houariyat is formed by five women from the region of Marrakech, singing and dancing to the rhythm of their drums, performing traditional music of the Houara (the region between Taroudant and Tiznit), of the Hammada (plain of the Dra'a), together with Berber dances and urban styles like the Aitci (female seductive appeal) and the Chaabi, popular style that originated Rai music. The image of women as represented by the music of B'net Houariyat reflects the multiple facets of Islam on a daily life and the female condition, above and beyond the stereotypes, with emotion, humor and energy. Among the themes of their songs: the exaltation of love and beauty, the cry of the young woman that refuses the combined marriage with a rich old man, the derision of the man that has more wives and that works to maintain them, the ritual dance of the woman possessed by her spirits, the incitement to the Moroccan football team in occasion of the World Cup 1998, the criticism of Bob Marley and pop's fanaticism. The group played for the first time out of their traditional context in July 1995, in Milan, at the Festival Notti di San Lorenzo. Since then, B'net Houariyat has numerous international festivals and concert halls.» (WorldMusicCentral)

Thanx to Giuliano for this post

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