Sakina et les Frères Ezaouia

Sakina Safadi (1952-2022), a founding member of the group Jil Jilala, was the most prominent of the few female artists in the Ghiwani musical movement of the 1970s (the other notable artist being Saida Birouk of Lemchaheb ^[1]). Sakina's strong, charismatic presence in a musical field dominated by men made her an unforgettable figure in Moroccan music. Her recordings outside of Jil Jilala are few and not widely known, so we're glad to be able to share one here.

Unlike other members of the early Ghiwani groups, Sakina had already singing professionally before the new song movement began. In the mid-1960s, she sang in the ensemble of Hassan Souiri, where she "sang everything: tarab, Moroccan chaabi, asriya [modern songs by artists such as] Brahim el Alami, Ismael Ahmed, Fouiteh, and others." ^[2]. In 1969, Abdelwahab Doukkali invited her to sing with him in a concert in Algeria. She also acted in the Casablanca theatre scene, where she encountered the circle of performers that started the Ghiwani movement. Her distinctive persona and strong voice made her an instant celebrity after Jil Jilala's performance on Moroccan TV in 1972.

From what I can tell from the discographic record (here and here), Sakina remained with Jil Jilala through at least 1976's Laayoune Ainiya album. Her photograph alone is featured on the front cover of the album, along with a photo of the Green March - ostensibly because she took part in that political action. I'm not sure whether she appears on the recordings "Chamaa" or "Raad" (1976/77) - her photo appears on some releases and not on others. The journalist Larbi Riad dates Sakina's split from Jil Jilala to 1977 ^[3]. She did rejoin the group for a 1996 reunion of the group's classic lineup, and at least one TV appearance in 2003 ^[4]. (Perhaps this is the appearance in question.)

I haven't found extensive details about Sakina's musical career outside of Jil Jilala. The discographic record shows that she released an album with the group Lajwad. The catalog number of the LP suggests it was released in 1980 or 81, but the typically accurate Ismael Abo Salma dates a cassette release to 1978:

A release with a group called Swaken dates to 1984 according to Sawt el Noujoum

Swaken is a clever name for the group - it refers at once to a type of aita song that leans toward trance, and to Sakina herself (the word swaken being a plural noun etymologically linked to the name Sakina). I noticed that the members of Groupe Swaken are the same as those pictured on the 1986 cassette I'm sharing today, which is credited to Sakina et les Frères Ezaouia. I also noticed that a photo of Sakina with one of these musicians kept popping up on news articles from much later. It turns out that this is her husband, Mustapha Ahbad. They appear to have worked together in different musical formations from the mid-1980s until Sakina's passing in 2022. 

I've seen images and videos of additional commercial releases by Sakina: there is at least one other cassette released by Sakina et les Frères Ezaouia (the Zaouia Brothers), and there's a release credited to Sakina et Ikhwane Bidawa (the Casablancan Brothers - again the same group). These "brothers" - the duo of Mustapha Ahbad and one Mustapha Qaddache - appear to have continued a musical partnership through the years as well, at least in recordings shared on Mustapha Ahbad's YouTube channel and attributed to the Duo Ghiwane Jilala ثنائي غيوان جيلالة. 

The cassette I'm sharing here came to me in its original shrinkwrap, so it had never been played. Unfortunately, either the tape had deteriorated or the original duplication or recording was not ideal - the sound quality is somewhat washed out. However, Sakina's vocals remain strong, and the songs are rather appealing. It's more stripped down than the Groupe Swaken album, which features a larger ensemble. I hope you enjoy it!

Sakina et les Frères Ezaouia
Hilali Disques cassette SH484 
1986 (according to the Bibliothèque nationale de France)

A1 L'ghorba
A2 Daba Liyam
B1 Oua Oulidi
B2 Chalini Ya Baba 

FLAC | 320

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Sources Cited:

↩ [1] I just found a fascinating video interview with Saida about her musical trajectory and the origins of the group Lemchaheb: "سعيدة أرملة باطما ..قصة تأسيس لمشاهب وطردها من الفرقة [Saida, Batma's widow... the story of founding Lemchaheb and her expulsion from the group]". Episode of بحر الغيوان [Bahr al-Ghiwane], Télé Maroc, March 7, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8EuYXX2Gkc

↩ [2] "سيدة الأغنية المجموعاتية سكينة الصفدي والملحن الفنان مصطفى اهباض ببرنامج في ضيافة العربي [The lady of group singing Sakina Safadi and the composer/artist Mustapha Ahbad on the program 'Guests of Larbi']". Episode of في ضيافة العربي [Guests of Larbi], Blancatv قناة بلانكا, June 8, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1KRucl3rw.  

↩ [3] Larbi Riad [العربي رياض]. "رمضانيات: انسحاب سكينة ثم الطاهري من جيل جيلالة (مسار سكينة.. فيديو) [Ramadan Specials: The departure of Sakina, followed by El Tahiri, from Jil Jilala (Sakina’s journey... video)]". Dabapress, May 31, 2019. https://dabapress.com/27109/

↩ [4] "Sakina Safadi, l’énigme des Jil Jilala". La Vie Éco, July 11, 2003. https://www.lavieeco.com/influences/culture/sakina-safadi-lenigme-des-jil-jilala-6612/

Abderrahmane Paco in Jil Jilala, 1972

Jil Jilala 1972 
L-R Abderrahmane Kirouche "Paco", Moulay Tahar Al Asbahani, Mohamed Derhem, Mahmoud Saadi, Sakina Safadi

I've obtained copies of the two Atlassiphone singles of Jil Jilala that feature Abderrahmane Paco on sintir, before he joined Nass el Ghiwane. I wrote about Paco's early career in this post a few months ago. At that time, I thought that the Atlassiphone and Casaphone singles represented separate recordings of the same songs. I'm now convinced that they are the same recordings in different pressings. 

DISCOGRAPHIC CLARIFICATION: Ismael Abo Salma (of the excellent YouTube channel of the same name) dates these two singles to 1972, and includes them as the group's first 2 singles on his massive Jil Jilala chronological playlist. When I checked his playlist back in March, I noted that he thought the Atlassiphone and Casaphone singles represented different recordings. Either I misread his posts or he has since edited his playlist and no longer views them as different recordings. His YouTube clips of the Casaphone versions of Leklam Lemrassa3 and Ha L3ar A Bouya are the same recordings heard on my rips of the Atlassiphone edition shared below. And his rip of the Atlassiphone version of Jilala is missing Paco's opening vocal and sintir solo - I previously thought this represented a different version, but it's the same version, just missing the intro.

I've done my best to clean up the sound - they aren't the most dynamic of recordings, but they sound alright here.

 Jil Jilala - 1972 singles

	Song: Jilala جيلالة Atlassiphone 555 A/B اطلسيفون Discogs link
	Song: Leklam Lmrassa3 الكلام المرصع Atlassiphone 556A اطلسيفون Discogs link
	Song: Ha L3ar A Bouya ها العار أبويا Atlassiphone 556B اطلسيفون Discogs link

Some thoughts on these early sides:

• If the Atlassiphone 555 single of "Jilala" is in fact the first singe from Jil Jilala, it's amazing to me that it opens with a solo vocal and sintir passage from Paco - a sound and voice we would come to associate so heavily with Nass el Ghiwane in the future.
• After Paco's arresting 40-second intro, the sintir repeats a single 4-beat riff over the remaining 10-1/2 minutes of the track. The simple riff is not particularly Gnawi in feel or melodic content. This initially bored me, but I've grown to appreciate the minimalism of the riff and the slow burning development of the various vocal sections of the song.
• "Leklam Lmrassa3" features no sintir, but does feature an introductory vocal from Sakina Safadi, who was part of the group for its first few years of existence. Later recordings of this song feature a bouzouk through the entire song, but in this initial version, the bouzouk is heard only during Sakina's vocal intro, and the main body of the song is accompanied by drums alone.
• "Ha L3ar A Bouya" is probably the most interesting track with respect to the sintir. The song features two different sintir riffs, one before the tempo change, another after the change. They are more interesting rhythmically than the riff in "Jilala" - a bit closer to a Gnawi way of playing, especially in the second half of the song, where Paco varies up the rhythmic accents and phrase repetitions in interesting ways.
• "Ha L3ar A Bouya" includes the most interesting vocal and instrumental arrangements of the 3 songs. Wordless backing vocals change registers, Sakina's voice joins the male group vocals, and the initial verse returns at the song's end, superimposing itself on different backing vocals and rhythms. Unusual and innovative stuff!

After these two singles, Jil Jilala recordings would feature no sintir for a few years, until Moulay Abdelaziz Tahiri joined the group. The group's records begin to feature Tahiri's photo in 1976 (e.g. here and here). However, the lovely 1974 single "Lighrara" features Tahiri's unmistakable guinbri-playing. 

Jil Jilala جيل جيلالة
Atlassiphone 555 & 556 اطلسيفون
1972  

555 A/B    Jilala جيلالة
556 A        Leklam Lmrassa3 الكلام المرصع
556 B        Ha L3ar A Bouya ها العار أبويا

FLAC | 320 

Sahara 1974

Here's a 1974 LP of "folkloric" music from the then Spanish Sahara. The LP's notes do not specify where this recording was made. The tracks feature various configurations of male and female voices, always with clapping and the tbal (kettle drum), sometimes also with a guitar or flute. Songs range from praises of the Prophet to songs of love, dance, and celebration. 

Within a few years of this recording (that is to say, after Spain relinquished the Sahara and the war between Morocco and the Polisario began), this album's artistic director Mohammed Tammy would be involved in the formation of the group Martir Luali, an explicitly political group that placed musical composition and performance in the service of raising awareness of the political situation of the Sahrawi refugees. I wonder whether any of the musicians on this album became part of the Martir Luali group.

Meanwhile, "traditional" music continues in the Sahara under Moroccan rule. The 30-disc Anthologie de la Musique Marocaine devoted 3 CDs to Chants du Sahara, featuring the artists Banat Aichata, Abba Ould Badou, and Batoul Marouani.

Grupo Chabab فرقة الشباب
Folklore Saharaui الفلكلور الصحراوي
Alhambra LP CPS 9351
1974

A1 Rachel Uld Abd El Mutaleb رجل ولد عبد المطلب
A2 Sreyba Hah اسريبا هاه
A3 Lebleida Y Chamra En Lekhal البليدة و الشمرة
B1 Trem Rem ترمرم
B2 Yalali Maglaklia يالال ماغلاك اعلي
B3 Treyetima التريتيمة
B4 Cutti Cutti كوتي كوتيكوتي كوتي  

FLAC | 320 

Sources consulted:

Mohammed Tuhami - Tami محمد التهامي - التامي . [A Journey of Contribution] مسيرة عطاء, Episode 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZI_is4Wmm8

Violeta Ruano. "Shaheed El Uali Band and Beyond: 40 Years of Resistance Music in Western Sahara". Ethnomusicology Review, February 26, 2016. https://ethnomusicologyreview.ucla.edu/content/shaheed-el-uali-band-and-beyond-40-years-resistance-music-western-sahara