Muziekpublique is very pleased to contribute to the anniversary evening of Darna, the Centre of Flemish-Moroccan cultures. Morocco is known to have a long tradition of female singers who sing about everyday love and suffering of their people.
Cheikha’s and Raïssa’s are respectively from North- and from South-Morocco and present a very rich and diverse music repertoire that until now has received too little visibility outside Morocco. In the West, it is mainly the Arabo-Andalusic music and the Gnawa that are well known. A concert exclusively devoted to the Aïta and the Raïssa is therefore unique.
The Rayssates from the Souss put the music from the Amazigh, the Berbers, in the spotlight. The singers Raïssa Fatima Tihihit and Raïssa Fatima Tachtoukt will present some pieces from the older traditional repertoire interpret some poetic texts and play some of their own work. Raïssa Fatima Tihihit and Raïssa Fatima Tachtoukt are important keepers of the rich, poetic Amazigh culture, with spoken texts about current issues and social, profoundly human stories. Aita is a musical expression that emerged on the Moroccan countryside and that expresses pain, joy and especially love. Aita in Arabic means ‘cry or ‘lament’ and is usually sung in Darijga (Moroccan Arabic).
Two of the best female voices, Khadija Bidaouia and Khadija Mergoum, present the concert of the Chikhates from the Aita. Both divas play a leading role in ‘Chikhates & Chioukhs de l’Aita’, an impressive anthology that was compiled by Brahim El Mazned, director of the festivals Visa for Music and Timatar and curator of this evening.
Organisation: Darna vzw in the context of the Festival Darna’Fest, Echoes of Moroccan ceremonies, in collaboration with Muziekpublique, Ancienne Belgique, Palace, Ad’hoc platform, and the Flemish and Moroccan authorities.
- Chikhates : Khadija Bidaoui, Khadija Mergoum
- Rayssates : Fatima Tihihit & Fatima Tachtoukt
