Acoustic Berber Music from Algeria | Summer 2022

OMG it’s official! We’re so honoured that the Amazi(n)gh duo Iness Mezel & Nora Abdoun are leading our 5-day workshop on acoustic Berber music. 

When: Mon 4th - Fri 8th July, 18:30-20:30 BST

Where: RG01 at SOAS

Delivery: in-person

Being the largest ethnic minority of North Africa, the Berber follow a traditional oral culture incorporating their own language, script and music wherein women’s voices accompanied on bendir (frame drum) play a phenomenal role. Although women’s songs inspired many famous male singers in the region, they have been ignored in their own right. Innes & Nora offer a platform to the otherwise largely invisible world of female voices from Kabylie as a window to the power and beauty of Berber oral culture, which has long suffered oppression and invisibility. Hence they call their initiative "Tiwkilin", which translates to “the invisible world”.

Course Description

 

Every day will consist of voice training and percussion, and the learning of a new song depending on the harmonic progression. We'll thoroughly explore distinct Berber tones and sounds, specificities and ornaments...

 

Sessions will start with a short vocal warm up. You will proceed to sing beautiful Berber lyrics, sensing your body's pulse swing with the rhythm and clapping all the while. Sooner or later, you'll be given the fun chance to play around with onomatopees and various improvisational possibilities, so that you can dive even deeper into the inherent musicality of the Berber language. By the end of the course, you'd be able to play traditional percussion and perform traditional singing better than you'd ever imagine!

 

Meet your teachers

Talented singer-songwriter Iness Mezel was recognised as “Best Female African Artist” and “Best North African Artist” in the All Africa Kora Music Awards. Together with Berber percussionist Nora Abdoun, they showcase an important aspect of the music of North Africa – that of the female voices of the Imazighen from Kabylie in Algeria, where they are both from. Their project is novel and pared down.