B’net Houariyat

B’net Houariyat is an ensemble of six women musicians whose traditional song, dance, chant, and drumming are rooted in sub-Saharan Africa and the Berber oral tradition. Living in the region of Marrakech in Morocco and led by singer Khadija El Ouarzazia, B’net Houariyat is one of the rare groups including the Houari Tqil from Marrakech and the Houari Farda from Houmada. B’net Houariyat perform dances traditional to their own tribe, the Houari, as well as dances from other Berber traditions. Their vocal repertoire includes aïta, a feminine seduction call, and chaâbi, a popular style from which rai music originated. The repertoire of B’net Houariyat includes lyrics to songs both ancient and contemporary, touching on various aspects of everyday life: social issues, religion, love, and relationships between family and neighbors. Whether denouncing an arranged marriage with a rich old man, mocking male pride, or condemning fanaticisms of all stripes, B'net Houariyat transgress the clichés of the condition of women in Islamic countries with great humor and energy.

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"B’net Houariyat from Morocco were a revelation with their Berber songs and percussion." ~ Nigel Williamson, The Times, July 28, 1998

"Best of all were B’net Houariyat, five middle-aged Berber women who entranced an audience of thousands with nothing more than percussion and the interweaving of their harsh but exhilarating voices." ~Mark Hudson, The Daily Telegraph, July 28, 1998