Berber Arts & Music
Learn more about the artistic and musical traditions of Berber cultures.
Traditional Berber or Amazigh arts reflect their diverse histories and cultures. While each group practices slightly different arts, many share several major traditions. One common element is Islamic art, which encourages the depiction of geometric or natural imagery over human and animal forms. The Amazigh are also famous for their textiles and weaving. Carpets in particular remain an important industry in rural areas.
In many cases, arts and crafts in Berber communities are the domain of women. Women produce carpets, fabrics, clothing, ceramics, and baskets. Berber ceramics tend to be characterized by muted colors decorated with darker symbols and imagery. Men may produce commercial ceramics and work with gold, silver, other metals, and gems to make jewelry. In earlier centuries, certain Amazigh cultures practiced the tattooing of women. Female relatives tattooed the faces and arms of girls as they entered womanhood. This marked their new status as adults and protected them from harmful spiritual forces. Due to conflicts with Islam, however, tattooing is no longer practiced in most places.
Before the arrival of Arabic, Berber languages, now known as Tamazight, were primarily oral. Families passed down stories and poetry to new generations, a custom that continues to this day. Poetry in particular plays an important role in Berber culture and is often combined with music. Wandering poets, or amydaz, travel between villages with several musicians in tow. They are best known for their improvisation. The amydaz are typically accompanied by a double clarinet, drums, and a one-stringed fiddle. Flutes and drums are common instruments throughout the Maghreb. Tambourines and bagpipes are also common. They may be used for entertainment, such as at markets or weddings, or for ritual purposes. The Chleuh people of Morocco are especially noted musicians. Poetry can be performed by both men and women.
Today, Berber arts are produced and performed on both a local and commercial level. Rural families may still create their own goods or sing and dance on special occasions. Others manufacture traditional art to sell at markets or online. Mass production and foreign tastes have shaped this art in new styles and materials. Additionally, urban artists may explore their world with a variety of media and any number of messages, including through painting, literature, music, performing arts, and film.
Further Reading:
Learn More About Berber Culture
Cultural Overview | Geography | History | Daily Life | Society | Economy | Beliefs | Art & Music
References
Goodman, Jane. Berber Culture on the World Stage: From Village to Video. Indiana University Press. 2005.
Hart, David M. Tribe and Society in Rural Morocco. Routledge. 2014.
Maddy-Weitzman, Bruce. The Berber Identity Movement and the Challenge to North African States. University of Texas Press. 2011.
Nijoku, Raphael Chijioke. Culture and Customs of Morocco. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2006.
Nisan, Mordechai. Minorities in the Middle East: A History of Struggle and Self-Expression. 2nd ed. McFarland. 2012.
Waugh, Earle H. Memory, Music, and Religion: Morocco's Mystical Chanters. University of South Carolina Press. 2005.
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