🎬 EPISODE 12: Musical Instruments

In the bustling souks of Fez and Marrakech, at the turn of an alley, the captivating sound of a guembri resonates, accompanied by the deep rhythm of a bendir. Behind these emblematic musical instruments, artisans perpetuate a know-how passed down from generation to generation.

📜 Music and crafts: an ancestral fusion

The history of Moroccan musical instruments is closely linked to the country's cultural and spiritual traditions.

🎵 Historical landmarks:

Pre-Islamic period: the Berbers already used percussion instruments such as the bendir in their rituals.
8th century: Andalusian influence brings stringed instruments like the oud, enriching the musical heritage.
15th century: with the rise of the Saadian dynasty, Gnawa music and its emblematic guembri became deeply rooted in Moroccan culture.
Modern era: craftsmen continue tradition, while incorporating innovations to improve acoustics and durability.

📌 A link with episode 8: some luthiers engrave calligraphic motifs on their creations, mixing music and artisanal aesthetics.

Handcrafted Moroccan wooden bendir with natural stretched skin, traditional percussion instrument used in Sufi and Berber ceremonies, made by a luthier in a workshop in Morocco.

📜 Morocco's emblematic instruments

The bendir: drum on a wooden frame, used in Sufi and Berber ceremonies.
The guembri: a plucked string instrument made of thuja wood and covered with goatskin, central to Gnawa music.
The oud: oriental lute made of walnut or mahogany, with a soft, deep sound, popularized by Andalusian musicians.
The tarija: small percussion instrument made of terracotta or metal, used to accompany popular music.
The ghaita: traditional oboe, often heard at festivals and spiritual processions.

📌 Thuja wood, used for carved boxes, is also a preferred material for guembris and ouds.

Traditional violin-making workshop in Morocco, where a master craftsman makes and passes on his know-how in the creation of guembris, ouds and bendirs, emblematic Moroccan musical instruments.

📜 The secrets of instrument making

Each Moroccan instrument is the result of a long artisanal process, combining the choice of materials and precise techniques.

🔨 The manufacturing stages:

Wood selection: walnut, thuja or cedar for resonance and durability.
Sculpting and assembling: each piece is hand-carved to achieve the perfect shape.
Applying skin or strings: artisans use goatskin for percussion and gut or nylon strings for stringed instruments.
Ornamentation and finishing: engravings, mother-of-pearl inlays and Berber or Arabic motifs give each instrument its unique identity.

📌 Copper artisans also create decorative elements for some instruments such as the ghaita.

Moroccan artisan making a traditional guembri from thuja wood, an iconic Gnawa musical instrument, with stretched goatskin and detailed hand-carving, in an authentic workshop in Morocco.

📜 Instruments in Moroccan tradition

Music plays an essential role in daily and spiritual life in Morocco.

In Sufi rituals: the bendir accompanies spiritual chants to induce a trance state.
In Gnawa culture: the guembri is the central instrument of trance and healing ceremonies.
In popular celebrations: the tarija and ghaita are essential during weddings and festivals.

📌 During musical ceremonies, musicians often wear traditional hand-embroidered garments.

Handcrafted carving of a Moroccan oud in walnut wood with mother-of-pearl inlays, an Andalusian musical instrument made in a traditional workshop by a Moroccan master luthier.

📜 Musical craftsmanship between tradition and modernity

Faced with industrial instruments, Moroccan artisans adapt to preserve their know-how:

Collaborations with international musicians to modernize the acoustics of traditional instruments.
Exporting handmade instruments to Europe and the United States through dedicated platforms.
Learning through oral transmission between master craftsmen and young apprentices ensures continuity of the craft.

💡 Why choose a handmade Moroccan instrument?

An authentic and unique sound
Ethical and local production
Millennia-old know-how rooted in Moroccan culture

Gnawa musician in traditional dress playing the guembri in an alleyway in Marrakech, an instrument emblematic of spiritual and trance ceremonies of Gnawa music in Morocco.

🎯 A harmony between craftsmanship and music

Moroccan musical instruments are not mere objects: they are the living soul of the country's musical traditions. Behind each note lies the imprint of a passionate artisan, preserving a unique intangible heritage.

📌 In the next episode: discover the little-known world of horn carving in Morocco 🦴. A fascinating journey to meet the last master craftsmen of this endangered trade.

🥁 Love traditional rhythms? Visit Online Medina and explore Moroccan musical craftsmanship.

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