Gourara, found in southwest Algeria, is one of the most picturesque regions of the Sahara desert. It holds more than one hundred oases and is home to approximately 50,000 people who speak Arabic, Berber, and Sudanese dialects whose languages and musical traditions are endangered. The Ahellil, which is specific to the Berber-speaking part of Gourara, is performed as a part of religious celebrations, as well as public events such as weddings and community events. The Ahellil is very closely linked to the Zenete way of life, meaning it symbolizes the cohesion of the community as it lives in a harsh environment. In that same way, it transmits the values and the history of the Zenete population as it is at risk of vanishing in a language that has been endangered.
Ahellil refers to the song itself, and to the ceremony in which it is performed. It is a mixed ceremony and is held exclusively at night. Female attendance is declining, especially in large cities. There is no prohibition based on social stratification, and there is no discrimination, regardless of the condition of the participant. Many of the texts are written in the Zenetic language, which is sometimes so archaic that its meaning is no longer understood today.
When the time for the festival approaches, religious or profane, men gather to practice Ahellil. This genre can be described as poetry, music, and dance, and is performed by a violinist, a chorus of up to a hundred people, an African flute player, and a singer. Standing in a circle around the singer, the participants slowly move around the music while clapping their hands, which is performed simultaneously with each movement. When an Ahellil performance takes place, the chants are arranged in an order decided by the instrumentalist and follow an age-old pattern. The first part of the performance, the lemserreh, involves everyone and contains well-known, short chants which are sung late into the night. The second, anougrout, concerns only the most accomplished performers and continues until dawn. The tra, the last part, finishes in the morning and is only performed by the most experienced. This threefold structure is also reflected in the performance of the chant, which begins with an instrumental prelude, then the chorus picks up certain verses, and finishes with it whispering in a whisper and gradually building up into a powerful, harmonious whole.
Songs and dances of this nature can be performed throughout the night by various groups of musicians and singers. Many of the Ahellil chants are sung in a language without a written system. This language is rapidly disappearing from the area and is threatened with extinction due to the rapid decline of native speakers. Despite its importance in traditional festivities, this tradition is also threatened with extinction due to the dearth of occasions on which it is performed. This decline is linked to traditional festivities being rare. In addition, young people are migrating to cities and prefer to listen to readily available recordings of Ahellil music, rather than actively participate in live performances, which has resulted in a decline in Ahellil's popularity.
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