Most of my Mauritania posts feature recordings of Azawane, the art music of the beydane, the arabo-berber tribes that, since French colonial times, are often called Moors. The country also has rich and diverse folk music traditions (like these Jakwar cassettes). The only folk music that has found a significant audience among the lovers of Azawane is Medh, religious praise songs. Medh is different in intent and style from Dhikr. The later is a more intimate devotional act, the melodic repetition of spiritual phrases, prayers, or words. Medh, while not an exclusively Mauritanian genre, is deeply rooted in the country's spiritual life. The name Medh translates as praise. The genre consists, in its purest form, of a lead vocalist singing folk poems, praise songs, accompanied by percussion, handclaps, and a vocal choir. The lead vocalist plays off the rhythmic tension created by the repetitive responses of the vocal choir. In its Mauritanian form, Medh songs often recount the merits and tell the story of the Prophet Mohammed (SAW). Medh is performed for religious ceremonies, every Friday night through the month of the prophet's birth, and during the month of Ramadan.
The Terjit Oasis, Adrar
The city of Atar, capital of the Adrar region, located 425 km northeast of Nouakchott, is a historical center of Medh. (Atar is 86 km west of Chinguetti, a center of Islamic scholarship in the 12th-13th centuries, reputed throughout West Africa). The most reputed Medh singer of the last thirty years was born in the Adrar region. Mohamed ould Mahmoud, known to most as 'Bror', was born in 1957 and started singing in the 1970s. By the 1990s, cassettes of his songs were sold in Nouakchott and his performances were recorded and broadcast by the national radio. Late in his career he earned national recognition, when he was awarded the first prize in the first-edition of a national Medh contest, broadcast on television during Ramadan 2010. Sadly, he wasn't able to enjoy his new found celebrity for long. Mohamed ould Mahmoud passed away on January 23, 2011, at the age of 54. His legacy continues to be celebrated, with several tribute festivals organized over the last nine years.
This cassette is an excellent example of Bror's talents, a well balanced recording of Medh in it's simplest form, just vocals and percussion. Over the years Bror included guitars or tidinitt in his ensemble, enriching the melodic framework of his songs. But many lovers of the genre prefer the sparse interplay of percussion and vocals.
This is another recording that I find most enjoyable late at night. Deep listening for a starry night.
This video is a more recent example of Medh. This gives you a good idea of the context and ambiance of a typical Medh performance.
Enjoy!!
Very much appreciated. Do have any k7 recordings about haratine bondja?
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