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Musical forms of Libya
 By Dr. Hassan Sassi
 

Majrouda:
Majrouda is a form of slang poetry of the Libyan north-eastern region that cannot be easily understood by those from other regions of Libya. Despite its long history, it has remained unchanged throughout the years. Performances do not include musical instruments; instead, they utilize a stick and a stone or a can. The Majrouda usually describes the status of the community and addresses social and family issues. It is very close to the Egyptian mawwal except it is richer in content. One Majrouda can be as long as an hour. The setting is a group of four or five men sitting in a circle with a can or a stone in the center; the men in turn expressing and sharing an issue or a story.

Songs of the City:
Each big Libyan city, such as Tripoli, Benghazi, and Derna, has its own style music and lyrics. The eastern region (Derna and Benghazi) are influenced by the music of the Middle East while the western area (Tripoli and Musrata) tends to have art forms closer to those of Tunis. In the Libyan south, on the other hand, cities like Sabha and Wadan are influenced by the African form of music. The musical instruments consist mainly of tabla, mizmar (magrouna) and occasionally 'ud. These forms of music and song were shared at no charge and only for entertainment purposes at happy occasions such as weddings. Libyan musicians and singers did not play for compensation until after the Libyan independence in 1951-52.

Songs of Elbadia:
In recent years and in the aftermath of the Italian occupation of Libya in 1943, the Badia (nomadic tribes) started to settle at city outskirts near Darna, Shat, El Baidah, and even though their lyrics were not easily understood by most Libyans, only then were their songs shared by all Libyans. This art form is very colorful and usually accompanied by dancers dressed in conservative costumes (the badawia is a liberated woman who dresses conservatively and integrates with men). The only instruments used are tabla and magrouna.

Songs and dances of Tawarik (Al Hadra and Malouf):
The Tawarik live in the Libyan Sahara and Sub-Sahara, and are unique and kind people. Tawarik men don't show their faces to their fellow men (men veil themselves) while women keep their faces uncovered. The Tawarik art consist of shared dances, when men and women gather on occasions (can be as often as once a week) to play and dance to music. Their dances usually tell a story. One of their famous dances, the Gazelle dance, describes a man trying to hunt a desert gazelle to find out that it belongs to a pretty woman. The dance goes on for half an hour until the hunter gives in to both the woman and gazalle's beauty and falls in love. The instruments used are the drums and the mizmar. No other instruments have been introduced to this form of music.

-Published in Kan Zaman Newsletter - May 1998 issue