A Nomadic People Mauritania’s population is roughly three million people and its name is derived from the dominant ethnic group, the Moors. In general, the country is divided into two main groups, The Haratin, who are descendants of Arab slaves with black African origins from the Saharan and Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Bidan, whom claim ancestory from north of the Sahara and refer to themselves as white. The Haratin were traditionally slaves under the Bidan noble class, whose strict Moorish hierarchical class system continues to influence its culture and music. The official language of the country is Hassaniya, a Berber-influenced Arabic dialect that derives its name from the Beni Hassan tribe, along with other tribal languages and French, who originally colonized Mauritania in the beginning of the 20th century. The country is primarily Sunni Muslim, descendents of Bedouin conquerors and Berber refugees from Morocco. Mauritania is a stratified society, and until late in the 20th century, was governed by a strict hierarchical caste system. This system has been a source of conflict among its peoples, with slavery continuing to this day, mainly affected by the Haratin that are enslaved by the Bidan. Between these two groups, Mauritanian music has assimilated influences from both their northern Arab and Berber neighbors across the Sahara. Traditional vocal and instrumental songs are an important part of Mauritanian culture. Solo singers are common, and they accompany themselves on tidnit and ardin, or sing with an instrumental ensemble. The vocals are powerful, resonating with the vastness of the desert and the staccato of the Arabic call to prayer. Traditional African musicians express life by taking natural sounds, including spoken language, and incorporating them into their music to tell the story of their people.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 22:02:42 +0000
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