A fusion of ancestral tribal music and Saharan Blues, Daraa Tribes comes from the oasis town of Tagounite in the Daraa River Valley of Morocco, with each member originating from a different tribe, bringing with them diverse music traditions to create an eclectic style only to be found in the oases of the North African Sahara. Releasing the album Igharman in 2018, and EPs Alwan (2017) and Zamane (2019), they has toured internationally across Europe, Africa, Russia, and Canada. The band is a Visa For Music laureate (2017), and has been featured on Radio France International and major Moroccan news outlets. Daraa Tribes’ second studio album is expected to come out in the fall of 2021.
Moroccan desert blues band Daraa Tribes releases their new EP Torat Vol. 1. It is the band’s third EP and third release with label Coral Riff Music.
‘Torat’ means ‘tradition’ in Moroccan Arabic and reflects the ancestral, traditional music that not only influenced this new release, but can be heard through traditional percussion and vocal styles in each song on the EP.
Songs like ‘Bshara’ and ‘Lghram’ come directly from traditional Hassania, Amazigh, and Daraoua ancestral customs found throughout southern Morocco and across North Africa.
This reflection and representation of traditional music is met with an eclectic modern blues/rock style apparent on each track. This is a continuation of Daraa Tribes efforts on each of the band’s previous releases to innovate upon ancestral cultural traditions, using them as a foundation for their creative process.
The band simultaneously released a lyric video for the song ‘Bshara’, translated into both Hassania Arabic and English. This song tells the story of the Aarib tribe, nomadic in origin, and their historical relationship with their surrounding environments. Major themes include a cultural, social, and economic importance placed upon camels, music customs performed by the tribal youth, and greeting other tribal members traveling from Afar. These themes are not just common among nomadic Hassania culture historically in North Africa, but are still very much part of modern cultural life in the Sahara desert of Morocco.
The review on Djolo translated from french: “With the Daraa Tribes, a Moroccan group not to be confused with its Senegalese homophone the Daara J Family , we go deep into the Moroccan south by following the course of the Wadi Daraa, or Draa, at the same time as it dissolves in our ears. the rich, very rich cultural silt which fertilizes the valley it crosses. In a great Saharan merger, the group Daraa Tribes unveils its latest track “Lakbayl” which can be translated as… tribes… this is a very tribal affair!
And it is the case to say it, with this new song, the Moroccan group wants to celebrate the diversity of the Draa valley, and to pay homage to all the tribes, all the ethnic groups, all the populations who inhabit the south of this valley. mythical of Morocco, and even, beyond that, they also greet with this song the musical blood which flows in their veins, and the blood, quite simply, the hemoglobin if you prefer, let’s say even the DNA in the strict sense , members of the group who each represent one of the peoples of this valley.
Thus the music and the soul of this song, “Lakbayl”, is crossed by the emotion and the legacy of Aarib, nomads and distant heirs of the first waves of settlements from the Arab world, who, in the evening, the camp once installed, have their musical style called chamra. There are also the Ragaga, master of the oasis of Ktawa who make the swords dance to the sound of Akalal and Skal. Of course, one cannot miss the Amazighs, Berber population which occupies North Africa since… it is in the north of Africa! The Kaaba, an important mixed-race population of the Draa valley, who, with their dance, the rokba, imitate the steps of warrior horses. And, to finish, there is also, and it is surely the people and the Moroccan music which knew how to make itself known the most abroad, the gnawa, descendants of sub-Saharan slaves.
So, now set off to discover the “Lakbayl”, the Daraa Tribes, with their dances, their music and their singularities!“
Daraa Tribes – “Lakbayl”
If you enjoyed the content of this article on “Lakbayl” the latest title of the Moroccan group Daraa Tribes, do not hesitate to visit our Facebook page and react to it, and why not even encourage us with a small mention “I like ” .
A celebration of the cultural diversity of the Southern Draa Valley and an invitation to all to witness this diversity, as presented through the traditional music styles:
Chamra belonging to the Aarib tribe
Akalal belonging to the Regaga tribe
Ahidous belonging to the Amazigh tribe
Rokba belonging to the Kaaba tribe
Ganga belonging to the Gnawa tribe
Video production by Thomas Duncan
Sound production by @Studio Hiba with support from @Hiba Foundation
All rights reserved.
The music in this video
Further information
Listen ad-free with YouTube Premium
Track: Lakbayl
Artist: Daraa Tribes
Album: Lakbayl
Licensed to YouTube by CD Baby (on behalf of Coral Riff Music)
A celebration of the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Southern Daraa Valley in southeastern Morocco, and an invitation to those around the world to witness this diversity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y1zuxLN8IE
The title reflects a continuation of Daraa Tribes’ efforts to shine a spotlight on the heritages from which each band member originates:
Aarib: The Aarib people from southeastern Morocco also reside in Saharan corners of Algeria, Mali, and Mauritania, originating from the Arab world centuries ago. They practice several music traditions, of which Chamra is highlighted in the music video for this single. The Aarib people are historically nomadic, and the Chamra music tradition is usually practiced at sunset and at night as a band of nomads would find a spot to sleep and settle in for the night.
Ragaga: The Regaga tribe are believed to have migrated westward across the Sahara more than a millenia ago, settling in the lush oasis of Ktawa. Before colonization, their village, also named Ragaga, was the center of commercial and public life in the region for centuries. They perform several traditional music styles, of which Akalal and Skal are featured in the music video.
Amazigh: The Amazigh people are indigenous to Saharan North Africa and are believed to have been living in the region for thousands of years. They are historically nomadic people who often settle near mountainous areas across the desert, and the traditional Ahidous style of music performed in the Southern Draa Valley often recalls the Amazigh people’s relationship with nature.
Kaaba: The Kaaba tribe is a particular ethnic group that belongs to the larger Daraoua people, who are mixed ethnicities which migrated to the Daraa Valley region from other parts of the Sahara and other corners of Africa over the course of several centuries. Their musical style Rokba means ‘Knee’, and reflects the movement of a horse during warfare centuries ago. The Kaaba and Daraoua people are in large part responsible for having maintained the lush oases spread throughout the Daraa River Valley.
Gnawa: The Gnawa people historically were brought into Morocco as slaves from Mali and even further eastward across the Sahara from Sudan. They practice several traditional music styles, of which Ganga is practiced in the Southern Daraa Valley, and is a direct reflection of the condition of slavery. The metal hand-held percussion instruments Karakash reflect binding chains in both imagery and sound, and their lyrics are both spiritual and have been sung for centuries during the time of slavery. Their ownership over their cultural heritage is a testament to the will of the Gnawa people to overcome suffering and become a dominant cultural force across Morocco.
The song ‘Lakbayl’, and the accompanying music video, not only represents this diversity, but also the general attitude of peace, tolerance, and social cohesion so integral to life in the Southern Daraa Valley of Morocco. Tribes may have different languages, histories, clothes, songs, dances, villages, and other customs, but all are respected and celebrated as vibrant aspects of local society. This is Daraa Tribes message to the world: to acknowledge, respect, and celebrate cultural and ethnic diversity, rather than use these identities to divide, as is the case in so many corners of the world.
We’re proud to announce the opening of the publishing branch of Coral Riff Management: CORAL RIFF MUSIC!
We’re equally proud to declare that the copyright of all the music we publish and distribute will be entrusted to Soundreef, the Italian collecting society based in London.
WHY SOUNDREEF
This is not the result of a partnership, we have never talked about establishing this type of relationship until now, but a choice of nature not only of utility and convenience for business purposes but also of work ethic. We believe that their fight against the arrogance of the various national monopolistic collecting societies is good and fair and we are proud to rely on them and the seriousness of the professionals who are part of this young but already great reality.
FIRST RELEASE
On Friday 01.10.2021 Coral Riff Music is gonna be out with its FIRST RELEASE, “LAKBAYL” (The Tribes), the new single of DARAA TRIBES!
DARAA TRIBES is our band from the #Sahara desert, playing a beautiful #music they use to define as Saharan blues, tribal fusion.
The single will be accompanied by a brand #new amazing musicvideo filmed with musicians from the various tribes from which each member of the band comes.
A wonderful story of music, #inclusion and celebration of cultural and #ethnic diversity.
