Malhoun Music

Malhoun is a tradition of long sung poems in Moroccan colloquial Arabic rather than classical, composed in a fixed strophic form called the qasida and performed by a solo singer with a small ensemble of oud, violin, hajhouj and percussion. What separates it from the Andalusian classical tradition is where it came from: malhoun grew in the artisan quarters of Fes, Meknes, Sale, Taroudant and Marrakech, among tanners, weavers, cobblers and coppersmiths who composed and sang it in their workshops and gatherings, so its language is street language and its subjects are love, wine, the city, satire, religious praise and complaint. Composers are often known by trade. It was inscribed on the UNESCO intangible heritage list in 2023. Associations in the old cities keep it going and it is programmed at festivals; recordings by singers like Haj Houcine Toulali are the way in for most people.

Highlights

• Colloquial sung poetry - long qasidas in the street language, not classical Arabic.
• A guild origin - composed by tanners, weavers and coppersmiths in their workshops.
• A small ensemble - solo voice with oud, violin, hajhouj and percussion.
• A 2023 UNESCO inscription - listed as intangible cultural heritage.

When to go

All year; festivals in spring and summer. An evening.

Good to know

Performances are irregular and mostly announced locally in Arabic. The poetry is dense and difficult without the language - even Moroccan listeners follow it with effort. Recordings are easier to find than live performances. Association events are not tourist-facing.

Nearby

Meknes, Fes and Sale all keep active malhoun associations.