Educational Media Reviews Online

Morocco: Body and Soul is a series of videos that present a unique panorama of the musical life and genres that are a part of modern-day Moroccan culture. The series began in 1987 with three videos: Aita, Hymns of Praise, and Lutes and Delights. The next two installments, Malhoune (1989) and Gnaouas (1990) continue the series by examining the music of two of the many diverse cultures in Morocco. Malhoune is the living forerunner of Moroccan popular poetry, and is performed daily. The music itself arises from the many craft occupations of its performers. It is a polyrhythmic music, and is comprised of four tempos (hadari, soussi, guebahi, dridka) and five modes (istihtal, maya, hegoz, sika, and r'zed). The usual ensemble to accompany Malhoune are 2 violins, lute, percussion, and "guembri". Malhoune is also a male-only music, usually performed by a single singer followed by extensive choral reply.

Gnaouas presents the music of the Gnaouas, black slaves who were originally brought to Morocco from Sudan in the 15th century, and who today practice their own brand of music, deeply involved in spirit possession and exorcism. The musical ceremony that they perform begins with a ritual sacrifice (shown on the video). In Gnaouas music, words are not important; it is the rhythm that makes the spirits vibrate and come to the performers. The video explains the various stages during a Gnaouas musical ceremony, which eventually does include female members of the society. According to the Gnaouas, each spirit has its own music, odor, and color. White spirits represent the air, black spirits represent the earth, yellow spirits represent the female, blue spirits represent water, and red spirits represent fire. For the Gnaouas, to be possessed is a way of life.

I found these videos very enlightening and interesting. As a musicologist, I feel that these videos are an excellent resource in any course on ethnomusicology or African studies. There is very little commentary in the videos; the music is described by its practitioners in their language, and translated for the viewer using scripting. Scenes of modern-day Moroccan life, environments, and people are wonderfully blended with the music presented in each program reviewed. The technical quality was excellent, and the audience level is geared towards college-age students, though I feel that high school students would also enjoy the content and music. I would highly recommend these videos and this series, which recently produced two more videos in this series: Airs in Berberland, pt. 1: Vibrations in the High Atlas (1992); and pt. 2: Nuptials in the Middle Atlas.