Aziz El Bakkali: Rural and Amazigh music in general did not live up to the expectations of the masses.
Despite all the efforts made, rural and Amazigh music in general still did not live up to the expectations of the masses.
We welcome you to the pages of the “Amazigh World” newspaper within its monthly dialogues. Would you like to give us an introduction about your person?
At the outset, allow me to extend my sincere thanks to you for all the efforts made and for your usual interest in art, the Amazigh artist in particular, and the Amazigh culture in general.
Abdelaziz El-Baqali was born in 1979 in Al-Hoceima. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, in addition to other scientific certificates such as a technical degree in management and informatics.
As for the artistic level, I was given a number of nicknames, the most important of which was “Aziz Amrdas,” which means warrior, in relation to the fact that most of the songs I released were defending the Amazigh cause. I was also called "Aziz Teamor" because I was in charge of Team Team. As for now, after choosing my own path, I took the name “Aziz Al-Baqali” for myself.
It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Can you tell us about your first steps in the world of Amazigh music?
My first start was self-made at the beginning of the nineties, when I learned to play the guitar in the middle of the Dahar Messaoud neighborhood in which I grew up in the city of Al Hoceima. Local up to the national level, especially university participation with the sites of the Amazigh cultural movement and Amazigh associations, and I also contributed to the establishment of many artistic groups in the countryside, where this experience with the Team Viewer group, which was a decisive station in my artistic path, resulted in building a professional group alongside the finest Rural musicians by developing the artistic and musical capabilities of the band and making this experience unique by reaching the heart of the masses in the countryside and winning an important place among the well-known bands and artists in the art scene at the national level and representing the rural song best in art events and festivalsAnd music inside and outside the country.
There is no doubt that there are difficulties and challenges that you faced in your artistic beginnings. What were they, and how did you overcome them?
Like all beginnings, they are often difficult, but our love for music and the passion that was within us in discovering the world of music and its types, and our conviction that there is a culture specific to our motherland, a diverse heritage and a great history, this awareness made our faith strong that can challenge all difficulties despite the lack of capabilities and the absence of music institutes to hone talent in addition to To the marginalization and exclusion that the committed song knew.
What are the themes and lyrical styles that you work on?
I always try to make my lyrics and melodies address the human conscience in general by choosing social and humanitarian topics (mother, land, identity, freedom, migration...) Through my words and melodies, Teamior won the best album award in Morocco for the year 2012 in the contemporary Amazigh song, which Awarded by the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture. I also try to make my musical works distinguished, whether in my own creations or in working on traditional songs, by giving a special touch to the song by choosing appropriate contemporary instruments and introducing traditional rhythms and folk instruments at times to interact with contemporary musical styles.
The Pouya Festival is a kiss to honor the female artist and a women's musical event of national character and international radiance.
After the group Teamyour, you have soared solo in the sky of Amazigh music, and after the songs “Azul” and “Thedbath”, when will Aziz El Bakkali release his first album?
After my long experience with the TeamViewer group, I made my final decision not to continue with the band for several subjective and objective reasons, as I chose to embark on a new experience in continuation of my career to serve music and art with a different vision, looking forward through it to contribute to the advancement of the purposeful song, with my hopes that this experience will be successful. And success in persuading the tastes of my honorable audience.
And in line with my principle in life based on the love of peace and the rejection of all manifestations of racism and hatred, I dedicated to my dear audience a song under the title “Azul” that carries in its words, melody and performance all the meanings of tolerance and human values, and the second song titled “Thathbath” that expresses the finest feelings of love and peace, and I promise my fans Dear, the new is coming very soon with new touches and topics. I hope that you will be satisfied, God willing.
What is your assessment of the reality of rural and Amazigh music in general?
Despite all the efforts made by the artists and the important development that the Amazigh song has known in recent years, and despite the openness to the media and social networking sites, it still did not live up to the expectations of the Amazigh masses, and these efforts remain insufficient for the Amazigh song to reach the world.
Do you think that committed Amazigh music still has the ability to influence society?
The committed song created a break with the tradition generation in the seventies and contributed to the formation of a free awareness that expresses the social and political concerns of the popular masses. A mission from society and its protest discourse is strong at the level of influence and targeting the human being in his depths. In my opinion, artists must keep pace with the artistic and musical development and the development at the level of poetic writing, which will help the committed song to impose its presence alongside other musical genres and make it present in our culture and able to resist all forms of marginalization and exclusion imposed on them.
What are the conditions and foundations that must be met by any musical group in order to succeed, shine and achieve fame and spread, according to your opinion?
Through my humble experience in the field of music, this can be summed up in a set of points such as choosing the topics accurately and the quality of the ideas presented without neglecting the innovation in the poetic body as well as the smoothness and simplicity of the language and respect for the intelligence of the recipient, and the clear excellence at the level of performance in voice and music in a way that complements the roles with the choice of musical instruments According to the adopted musical style and the characteristics of the main voice of the band, as well as openness to international poetic experiences and interaction with the traditional poem and the characteristics of the Amazigh heritage, as well as searching for mixed rhythms according to the nature of the appropriate musical distribution and musical instruments in each melody / clip or musical phrase, so that the work in the end is a homogeneous unit emerging from Within it is the poem, melody, performance, and sound, sufficient distinction to entertain the recipient in all possible places and times.
Among the most important conditions in our current era for the success and spread of the song is investment in the artistic and musical field through the media and distribution role at the level of communication and advertising channels that are carried out by major companies specialized in management.
In your opinion, which is considered more influential on the audience, the words or the melody?
The words and the melody complement each other, in addition to the singer’s voice, who is able to master the smooth transitions between the vocal fields and the shrines, and keep up with the rhythms imposed by the musical distribution, as well as the musical instruments used that increase the beauty of the song, and therefore these factors, when integrated and interact with each other, can influence more on the recipient.
In your capacity as director of the Pouya Women's Music Festival, what are the motives that made you establish this festival, which was held for the ninth time this year?
Perhaps the negative view of some towards creative women, and the closed mentality that considers art mere triviality and has no value in society and that everyone who went in the path of music lost his morals, especially women, in addition to other motives related to some concepts alien to our culture, so we gave special attention to women And for women's creativity, based on promoting the values of equality, preserving the heritage and national identity with its multiplicity of tributaries, through various pillars and artistic forms, and devoting a culture of recognition and appreciation for women's efforts; In various fields of public life, especially in the cultural and artistic scene.
What is the specificity of your festival within the map of the many musical events locally and nationally?
Perhaps the naming of the festival “Boya” sums up the historical symbolism of the rural tribes, where La Boya remained tattooed in the cultural and artistic heritage by singing her name as a refrain in Azran rural poems, considering La Boya a legendary woman who deserves all appreciation and respect because she symbolizes identity, love, peace, justice , freedom and courage.. Therefore, the festival's feature and specificity lies in restoring the consideration of the artist woman, by encouraging her to highlight her artistic and creative abilities and bringing them into existence and revealing the advantages of the countryside region manifested in the Amazigh heritage and rhythms and the extent of their influence and influence on other cultures and the vital role of women in this aspect, And thus contributing to the dissemination and promotion of the musical and lyrical heritage of the region and making the festival a destination for honoring women and a women's musical event of a national character and international radiation by hosting women's events from outside the country.
Are you satisfied enough with everything that has been achieved in this festival since the first session until today?
Perhaps we have achieved many important gains, especially in providing suitable space and conditions for female creators to express their musical and artistic talents and support them in order to highlight and develop their creative capabilities by creating bridges of communication between artists and giving opportunities to exchange musical experiences with professional artists such as the artist Saida Fikry and the artist Nabila Maan and other artists. Many artists from the countryside have benefited from this, who have become known nationally and internationally, and their launch was from the Boya Women's Festival: Celia, Lina, Melila, Iman Tefiore, Dihya, Marwa, Iman Omgar, Fatoum..
What are your future musical projects?
There are future works that will soon see the light with a new vision through dealing with poets from the countryside or through co-production with some artists who are well-known at the level of the national art scene.
Three artistic names influenced your musical career?
The late Aydir : A name that needs no introduction. I consider him the messenger of the Amazigh song to the world. I had the honor to meet him on several artistic occasions. I have always considered him the spiritual father because I learned from him the artist’s high morals, simplicity in creativity, wisdom in words, and faith in the cause. Fair Amazigh identity, culture and language.
Hassan Theidrin : A musical school that we are proud of in the countryside, and despite all the marginalization and exclusion it was subjected to, remains a pyramid of the pyramids of country song.
The late Abd al-Salam Ashhbar : The owner of the immortal song - ⵉⵏⴰⵙⵏ ⵉ ⵎⵉⴷⵏ ⵏⵛⵉⵏ ⵏⵅⵙ ⴰⵏⵉⵔⵉ - This artist did not die, but his name will remain immortal in rural memory through his beautiful and wonderful songs.
Free word...
All thanks to the “Amazigh World” newspaper for this valuable attention. I salute you for your steadfastness and your continuous support for all issues that concern the Amazigh person in general.
May you succeed and shine.
Interviewer: Khair Al-Din Al-Jami
Source : websites