ahwash ⴰⵃⵡⴰⵛ
Workshops in Amazzer: Ahwash & rhythm in motion
Since 2023 as Doom Mood Collective* we organize workshops in Amazzer village in Morocco, dedicated to Ahwash, traditional percussion, and in-depth rhythmical practices. The workshops are led by Hicham Ounamir** and Borys Slowikowski. We stay together in a traditional clay house, share homemade meals, take hikes in the surrounding mountains (where we hold some of our lessons), and jam around evening bonfires.
What is Ahwash?
Aḥwash (Ahwach / ⴰⵃⵡⴰⵛ / أحواش) is a diverse Amazigh tradition of chanted poetry in a form of collective dance-singing, typical for Moroccan Atlas Mountains and the surrounding areas. This practice, usually performed outdoors, is based on repetitions and polyrhythms, allowing participants to delve into the essence of community and the intrinsic connection between sound, movement, and the environment. The dance consists of delicate movements, always staying close to the body’s axis, embodying the moral ethos of Amazigh culture: everything should be balanced.
Accessibility
The practice of Aḥwash is an example that not only the verbal layer of music can convey knowledge. Qualities such as communality, rootedness, independence within interconnectedness, as well as balance—in every sense of the word—can be practiced, understood, and embodied through music and dance. Aḥwash posessing all these characteristic, is also a practice that welcomes participants of all musical and cultural backgrounds.
LINKS
Snippets from Ahwash workshops in Amazzer:
Research on Ahwash:
Music by Hicham Ounamir:
Izouran | Groupe Ounamir | Astera (Lotar Solo) | ⴰ ⴱⵉⵙⵎⵉⵍⵍⴰⵀ / A Bismillah |
* Doom Mood Collective
Doom-Mood Collective is a porous collective of artists and researchers from rural and urban areas working across traditional and experimental dance and music.
** Hicham Ounamir
