The women's ensemble "Roudaniat" ("Roudaniates" means inhabitants of Taroudant) comes from south-western Morocco. The musicians belong to the "Ouariyat" Berber tribe. Like many other Berber communities, especially those in the Atlas region, the "Roudaniayates" have maintained their own musical culture despite Islamic influences.
As a result the women musicians of the "Roudaniat" ensemble continue an ancient Berber women's tradition with their singing. Their music is led by a female cantor and is accompanied by a variety of percussion instruments such as the small metal drum taarija, the small cymbals naqus, the frame drum bendir, finger cymbals and other rhythm instruments. The elements of improvisation and interpretation also play an important role in the ensemble's music.

Women used to hold regular meetings together where they could be on their own and sing about different themes that interested women only: sexual initiation, topics of everyday life and religious themes. Their singing often conveyed elements of social criticism from a female perspective. The texts derive from both Berber and Arab sources. These exclusively female groups are called "abat", a word derived from "labat" meaning "to play".

In the course of time more and more men joined the circle of listeners, and the songs took on a religiously ritual aspect. As the audience has broadened the Berber women now tend to concentrate on songs of praise. But the strong influence of the women's songs bemoaning the oppression of women by men can still be felt.
"… it is not the man's absence that hurts, but the fact that women are despised in this way", is the lament in one of "Roudaniat's" songs.

The ensemble consists mainly of independent emancipated women artists, some of whom are widowed, some divorced. For instance the singer Cherifa whose raw, guttural voice possesses undertones of both tragedy and dignity. She has been singing professionally since she was 15 years old, with only a brief interruption during the time she was married. Cherifa stands for the status of the "cheikha" - a concept which originally meant mistress and refers to women who sing for men and were often suspected of being "bad women". "I used to sing at home as a child while I was doing housework or fetching water. One day the famous lute player Roucha heard me and asked me whether I would join his group. My parents were against the idea, especially my father who had been to Mecca and had acquired the status of "hadj". But when I actually sang in a group for the first time and my family saw my photo on a cassette, they had no more objections."

Director: Brahim El Mazned
The women musicians:

Jemia Ait chaf – vocals, dance
Jmia Ez-Zarrary – taarija (small metal drum), vocals
Rabia Wahrich – naqus (small cymbals), vocals
Jmia El-Hemmaz – vocals, dance
Faima Ahnouch – bendir, vocals
Malika Ait Chaf – bendir, vocals
Milouda Ejbaboi – taarija, vocals

crossroads: ritual,trance
instruments: Bendir, Naqus, Taarija
region: Africa, Northern
country/terriytory: Morocco

75 min.

07.07.07 (Saturday), 5:00 pm.
St. Katherina Church