"In our culture poets have more power than politicians. That stems from the fact that our culture is one of oral tradition. 200 years ago, you would find that when two tribes went to war, each side had its poet, and the poets fought with words. The one who could throw out the most beautiful word won, and the war would end, because the word is above economics, politics, business, etc. Poets have a position of choice in our society."-Algerian Berber Singer Idir The Berbers, or Amazight, are the indigenous, pre-islamic people group of Morocco. Berbers are spread across North Africa, so Berber music in Morocco shares many links with other Berber groups in North Africa. Berber music in Morocco can be divided into two main types today; village music, epitomized by the ahwash, and small traveling groups of professional musicians know as rwais.
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