Saframusic

(NB: You will find Saframusic in stand N° 12.39, with
Zaman production).


Saframusic: " the music and traditional songs of the
Eastern Maghreb"


Saframusic aims at promoting and developing
traditional music from the Eastern Maghreb. Because of
its geographical location this part of the Maghreb,
which is a melting pot for Arab, Berber and Sub-
Saharan African culture, has fostered one of the richest
musical and poetic traditions in the region.

Some of the groups Saframusic is working with have
gained recognition appearing in various festivals in
France like Alain Weber's « Orientales », the « Dock des
suds » in Marseille and the « Café de la Danse » in
Paris:

Marzoug from Biskra is a group who uses their own
bagpipe which was invented by their family, the
"Chekwa": a repertoire which plunges you into a mix of
Arabic and African music, which is extremely rhythmic,
lively and cheerful.

A women's ensemble, the Fqiret d'Annaba offers
delightful songs, singing along with different
percussions. The repertoire consists in songs with a
very rich poetic content. It used to be led by the
siblings Zhour and Hadj Nasser, who were then joined
by the famous traditionnal singers from Annaba,
Sheikha Linda, Laouabdia, Fella, Sheikha Nadia. With
their outstanding voices they now form an
unprecedented group accompanied by the Fhel flute
and the Kamanja (violin), instruments used in the
learned music.

How can we forget the performance of the famous
ensemble of flutes Gasba and percussions from Annaba
and Souk-Ahras in Paris! This group is inherited from
the secular popular patrimony of the North-East. One
of the famous Noubat (a piece celebrating the Saints) is
performed during many ceremonies such as baptism,
weddings bringing to their own musical style to the
region. The magic nature of this noubat gives this
music a unique strength where the tender expression
of the plaintive flute, the rich melodic varieties
combined with the rhythms of the percussions touch
the bottom of the soul.

• article submitted by: Halim Dekkiche, Saframusic