The website is meant to be an easily accessible overview of different genres of Moroccan music. It serves as a brief introduction to the many styles of Moroccan music, and its many levels make it accessible to people with little prior musical knowledge. It was created as a Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad Program (KL YES Abroad) CAPSTONE project, a cultural research project completed after 10 months of studying and living in Rabat, Morocco.
For further reading, a list of the sources used for this project can be found here.
About the Creator
Sadie Van Vranken is a high school student living in Rabat Morocco for the 2014-2015 school year through the US Department of State KL YES Abroad Program. She is originally from Denver, Colorado. You can read more on Sadie's year abroad at her blog, https://motsdumaroc.wordpress.com/.
How to Use this Website
The website is divided into sections of Moroccan music. Each section contains the following information:
A brief introduction to each genre, which features a definition of the style and, in most cases, a music excerpt of the style. This page can be accessed by clicking directly on the name of each genre. For example, see the introduction for Berber music.
The history of the genre, detailing its origins and evolution. This connects each genre to the larger picture of Moroccan history and serves as context for the music. It can be read without any prior musical knowledge. This page can be found under the "History" tab of each genre. For example, see the history of Ra'i music.
The instruments used in the genre. This page is especially helpful to those who have little knowledge of non-Western music. Here, each instrument is introduced by a photograph, brief illustration, and where possible, an audio clip. This page can be found under the "Instruments" tab of each genre. For example, see the instruments of Chaabi music.
The form and structure of each genre. This section is, as a rule, the most technical. For those interested in the musical theory of each genre, this page serves as an introduction and explanation. Some of its language is technical, so reference the glossary if you encounter a term you don't understand. This page can be found under the "Form and Structure" tab of each genre. For example, see the form and structure of Andalusian music.
A sample of artists and clips of the genre. This section is designed to facilitate the exploration of non-Western styles by introducing major artists and styles within in the genre through YouTube videos. It is by no means exhaustive. The page is typically organized to introduce both a traditional artist or clip and a modern fusion or exploration based upon the style. This page can be found under the "Artists and Clips" tab of each genre. For example, see the artists and clips of Malhun music.
The styles of music can be viewed in any order, or independently. Likewise, most of the pages can be viewed independently or in sequence, although they are designed to move from little prior knowledge to more complex analysis. However, here are a few ways to explore the genres: