The art of Rawais wins the third prize in Uzbekistan in front of the participation of 400 participants representing about 80 countries
The Moroccan musical band, the Rabab instrument category among the Amazigh pieces, “Fan Al-Rawais”, was awarded to the participants in the second session of the International Maqam Music Forum, “Makam Art International Forum”, which was hosted by the city of Zamin and organized by the Uzbek Ministry of Culture during the period from June 27 to 30. The event is ranked third among the activities of this session.
The art of rawais, through the historical rubab instrument and Amazigh rhythms from the Kingdom of Morocco, was strongly present in this international event, as the artist Hassan Baloush, Hamid Taghula, Saeed Akous, and Muhammad Al-Khattabi presented their musical performances at the Maqam Festival in Uzbekistan. They entertained the attendees with masterpieces of music for the maqam and pentatonic mode that are unique to Moroccan Amazigh music, in the presence of about 400 participants, including artists, professionals and researchers from about 80 countries.
The art of Rawais, which won third place, and which has gained enormous popularity over the past century, is considered an Amazigh art par excellence, as women and men participate in its performance, singing and dancing, and it is played in the first stage on the rabab instrument, which is a single-stringed violin that was introduced in the early twentieth century. Known for his distinctive tone, instruments such as the gong and the drum player “Tam Tam” were intertwined, creating a unique harmony. Before the leader, “the leader of the band,” began singing, women’s voices continued to repeat the refrain after he finished singing.
For reference, this second international forum, which was attended by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan at its opening ceremony, aims to protect traditional music, promote dialogue between cultures, and maintain the development of cultural diversity by supporting artistic creativity.
The forum's program included presentations of the status of bearers of intangible cultural heritage, organizing a scientific conference with the participation of famous musicians and composers, and meetings were held with artists within the framework of the forum, in addition to an exploratory visit to some tourist areas.
Agadir: Ibrahim Fadel
Source: websites