Archach أرشاش

In 1979, Ali Chouhad left Izmaz (Changeable Weather) and founded Archach (Drizzle) together with young people from his region (Issaffen, in the Tata region of southern Morocco).

This group was part of the movement for the revival of Amazigh (Berber) songs and they wanted to mix traditional village rhythms (the Ahwash dance) and modern urban rhythms popular during the last few years of the sixties (Usman, Izenzaren, Nass El Ghiwan). This fusion was very successful with migrants from this region to the main urban areas of Morocco and abroad.



Since its introduction Archach has published an album every year. The majority of his lyric poems, as much with Archach or alone, are his own composition. A few exceptions are a poem by Moustawi and a selection of songs by Azer’i Anshad and Sidi Hemmou. Also he has set his own poetry to the music of Anshad, Doudder’, Lhajj Mohammad Amourague or even Belaid.

( Source : http://www.azawan.com)

Like many Amazighian bands in the Ahuach region, Morocco; Archach's songs were always carefully chosen from 'darg'/'darja' mawrouth poetry. But, most of their poems were censored by the Moroccan authorities during the rebel-rousing times of the late 70's and early 80's.

The group (also spelled as Archache) has at least 34 albums since their first one was issued in mid-1980. The previous year, five ex-members from various Soussian bands gathered together to form Archach: Ali Chouhad, Mohammed Slout (from Ibrkak), L'Hassan Wachach, Ibrahim Isakran (Essafen), and Aziz El-Harras (Tafrawit) and played live at Assouass Square: the place to be at that time for most neo-traditional Soussian bands.

Later, they were joined by Chouhad's brother Abed El-Kbir and together they wrote most of the songs. All in all, their roots harked back to the Ibrkak, Essafen district in the Lesser-Atlas region, between Tatta and Troudanout. This region is very rich in Ahuach music (Note: a very mountainous region known for its famous poetry, or 'Inzamen': The Composure), and one of its best poets around (El-Hamou Taleb), wrote so many poems for the band.

Musical Extract:
Their style is very tribal (to use but a new-ageist word, mind), as it belongs to the tribal Ahuach music style which stresses group dances, and poetical composure, too famous around Souss, El-Houz, and Daraa in the east and known by many names: Ahankhar, Ajmak, Ahmaulou, Eldrassit, Ehuiach, Ahuoari, A'Knawi, Tskiouin, etc. and has numerous substyles, like Ahuach Emmi Ntanout, Essefen, T'louat, Ahuadh Ihahen, Ahuadh Ait B'Oumran, and Takraou/Tamhadhrin (Women-only styles).

The dance is called 'E-Rakz', but most of these styles are based on the music and the poems written in an improvisational manner which is a very unique feature in Soussian music. The instrument vary, too: Kanka (African), Aloun, Tknza, Akwal, Nai, and the Banjo.

Archach took Soussian music away from the Terroussa (also called, Ruweiss) style played by Moulays (or, master players and singers like El-Rayess El-Hajj Bal'Eid, Bou Bakr Al-Azaari, Bou Bakr Anchad, Saffiyah Oulet Telouat, El-Hussein Janthi, Rayess Omar Wahrouch), into a more modern, fusion-heavy one full of maqams and old, traditional tunes set in new musical moulds.


(Source : Hammer, operator of the blog   The Audiotopia )



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Archach أرشاش - Al 'ambar العمبر

A1   Al 'ambar    العمبر 
A2  Ahyaw Ayayiss  اهياو  اياييس
A3  Ansahet اصاحت
B1 Sidi Hammou  سيدي  حمو
B2  Mansoul Ayghaman -  Tamssousset  مانسول  ايغاما  -  تمسوت

 
HERE



Archach أرشاش - Ash shabab الشباب

A1  Ash-shabab  الشباب 
A2  Arja fy Allah   ارجا في  الله
B1 Tamente Nujdik   تمنت  نوجديك
B2  Allily War Al Kheir  اليلي وار  الخير


HERE




Archach أرشاش - Arkan اركان

01 Arkan  اركان
02 Aslam  اسلم
03 Afrad  افرض


HERE