Transcript 3 cases of safeguard • Al-Âla, Moroccan arab-andalucian classical music • Yakshagana, string puppets from Karnataka, India • Mua roi nuoc, water puppet.

3 cases of safeguard
• Al-Âla, Moroccan arab-andalucian classical music
• Yakshagana, string puppets from Karnataka, India
• Mua roi nuoc, water puppet from Vietnam
Pierre Bois [email protected]
Al-Brihi Orchestra from Fez. In the middle, playing the rebab, master Hajj Abdelkrim al-Rais.
All the performers are both singers and instrumentalists.
Why safeguarding this music ?
A living classical heritage, but threatened.
• Built in the 12th century
• Permanent transformation since then, until early 20th century
• 11 works or nûbat (vocal & instrumental suites)
• Each complete nûba performance lasts 5 to 10 hours. Therefore
never performed as such.
• The repertory includes several regional variants.
• Oral transmission.
• Few masters only knew the full repertory :
- Moulay Ahmed Loukili, 1909-1988
- Hajj Abdelkrim al-Raïs, 1912-1996
- Mohamed Larbi Temsamani, 1918-2001
- Ahmed Zaytouni Sahraoui, 1934-
• Originally sung with a light instrumental accompaniement (lute,
rebab, percussion).
• Introduction of the Western viola (18th century) and violin (19th c.)
• Introduction of Middle Eastern instruments (qânûn, nây…) in the
20th century, and other Western instruments (cello, piano,
clarinet…).
• The orchestras become bigger and that affects the interpretation.
Method
• Establishment of a national commission of experts
• Choice of the orchestras
• What about a canonic repertory ?
• Confidence to the practitioners (i.e. the masters)
• Acceptance of the regional versions.
• Dispatching of the nûbat among the 4 orchestras
• Transmission of the full repertory from the masters to their
musicians
1989-1991 : 10 recording sessions (a week to 15 days each)
1992 : Full release of a 73 CD-boxset
Questions
• How should we consider this work ?
• As a testimony of a stage of Al-Ala evolution ?
• As a final and fixed reference ?
• Have we (our generation) confiscated this heritage ?
• What about its further evolution ?
• Will the next generations of musicians appropriate this work ?
• Conservating vs safeguarding
A group of traditional actors of Yakshagana, Karnataka State, South India
Yakshagana puppets,
saved in extremis…
Kogga Kamath and his son.
Mua Roi Nuoc, water puppets from Northern Vietnam. In the village
Mua Roi Nuoc, water puppets from Northern Vietnam. On stage.