Talvin Singh electrifies Moroccan Jajouka
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Bachir Attar carries on a long Morrocan music tradition by playing Jajouka, a style of music that dates back 4,000 years
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(CNN) -- Bachir Attar is shouldering the burden of carrying on the tradition of Jajouka, a style of music native to northern Morocco that dates back 4,000 years.
It's not a task he chose, but one thrust upon him at birth.
Attar is part of a dynasty of Moroccan musicians from the foothills of the Rif Mountains, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of Tangier. His ancestors were exempt from all work except making music, courtesy of the royal establishment.
Attar's family is said to possess the blessing of Allah, Islam's highest power, which gives them the power to heal as well as play complex Jajouka music. Among the instruments used to play Jajouka are the ghaita, the Arabic version of the oboe; the lira, a bamboo flute; the guimbri, a three-stringed lute; and double-headed Moroccan drums.
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DJ Talvin Singh
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Playing the music has not made Attar's family wealthy, but the clan carries on the tradition anyway. In his quest to promote the music -- and, perhaps, to keep the family comfortable -- Attar took the music in a new direction.
He has collaborated with The Rolling Stones, Maceo Parker and Sonic Youth. Attar's latest venture was to join forces with Indian DJ Talvin Singh to create a trance album, "Master Musicians of Jajouka."
The collaboration proved meaningful to both Attar and Singh.
• Click to hear their reflections and the music known as Jajouka.
RELATED SITES:
The Master Musicians of Jajouka
Point Music
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