Raïs Lhaj Mohamed Demsiri

Another "finally!" moment for Moroccan Tape Stash. Sharing today some tracks from the legendary artist Raïs Lhaj Mohamed Demsiri (1936-1989). Born Mohamed Ajahud, known professionally as al-Demsiri or Albensir, Demsiri is generally held to be the most important figure in amarg souss in the 2nd half of the 20th century.  

Journalist and researcher Abdellah Bouchtart writes of the uniqueness of Demsiri's art:

"his poetry departed from the prescribed framework within which the rwais used to compose their poetry, and he went beyond the familiar in the meanings, themes, and issues that he addressed and dealt with. He was also distinguished by his method of treatment and performance, as he chose to be bold in presentation, harsh in criticism, generous in love poetry, profound in mysticism, precise in description, and a courageous fighter for burning social issues. However, what distinguishes Albensir most is his possession of the Amazigh consciousness, that cultural consciousness which made him dare to break the complex of fear that dominated the Amazigh, creators, poets, writers and politicians, and to speak about the “racial discrimination” that the Amazigh and the Amazigh language and culture suffered from before and after independence." [1]

Demsiri's career stretches back to at least 1963. His professional travels took him to various European countries and to Algeria [2]. Discogs currently lists around 20 albums on cassette, mostly on the Tichkaphone/Koutoubiaphone label. I would guess that some of these albums are collections of tracks originally published as 7" vinyl singles. Stroomer [2] estimated as of 1994 that between 80 and 100 cassettes of Demsiri could be found in the Moroccan markets, including both official releases and bootleg recordings. 

Among the bootleg recordings, I would think, are the songs that got Demsiri in trouble with the Moroccan authorities. These would include the song "Agourn" (Flour), which criticized the government's response to the 1981 bread riots, and "Timzgida" (The Mosque) criticizing the collection of mandatory contributions for the construction of the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca [3]. The former song got Demsiri arrested in 1981.

This out of print album is the only one I've found of Demisiri on CD. But you can find lots of his music on the various streaming platforms. 

Raïs Haj Mohamed Damciri الرايس الحاج محمد الدمسيري
Tichkhaphone TCK CD 07 تشكافون

1 Irabbi Lward إربي الورد
2 Awzanakh Yen Tebrat أورنخ يان تبرات
3 Awi Essalam أوي السلام
4 Bou Taxi بو الطاكسي
5 Our Nsamah Ibariz أور نسامح إلريز 

FLAC | 320 

Sources consulted:

[1] Abdellah Bouchtart عبدالله بوشطارت. [Amazigh culture in the songs of Rais Mohamed Albensir "Al-Damsiri"... A struggle in a time of fear] الأمازيغية في أغاني الرايس محمد ألبنسير "الدمسيري" .. نضال في زمن الخوف. Hespress, January 20, 2024. 

[2] H. Stroomer. "Damsīrī (ad-Damsiri)". in Encyclopédie berbère, 14. Aix-en-Provence: Edisud. pp. 2203–2204. 1994.

[3]  Noureddine Ekjan نورالدين إكجان. ["Raïs Albensir": The Amazigh Singing Legend Who Criticized Hassan II] الرايس ألبنسير".. أسطورة الغناء الأمازيغي الذي انتقد الحسن الثاني". Hespress, November 11, 2018.

More Ahwach Ntfrkhine - Bnat Ameln featuring Lahcen Ajmaâ

Happy October! Back after an unexpected break with another tape of ahwach ntfrkhine - the women's ahwach style that we featured in a post a few months ago. I picked this up in 2012, but if I'm reading the BMDA number correctly, this dates to 2008. Again, the rhythms are unbelievable!

A few observations:

• The cassette packaging indicates a primary artist and a featured artist. The spine reads "Ahwach Ntfrkhine - Bnat Ameln Group, Vol.2." The front of the j-card reads "with the participation of the accomplished artist Lahcen Ajmaâ." 
• As someone who has never attended an ahwach performance other than the abbreviated versions seen at the Marrakech Folklore festival, when I think of ahwach, I think primarily of a large group of singers, drummers, and dancers engaged in a communal endeavor. However, ahwach performances often begin with poetic recitation from one or multiple solo singers. Sometimes the poetry is pre-composed, sometimes it is composed on the spot to fit the occasion. And sometimes it goes on for a long time!
• Lahcen Ben Mohamed Ben El Houcine Lamdidi (b. 1949, known professionally as Lahcen Ajmaâ) is one of the most highly respected and talented singers and poets in the ahwach tradition. According to his biographical profile at tirfinet.com, he began his career working in traditional communal village performances. His career really took off in 1978 when he formed a working partnership with a another singer-poet, Ihya Boukdir (1949-2018). Notably and unusually, the duo Ihya and Ajmaâ learned the ahwach styles of various regions, expanding the breadth of their appeal and notoriety. Many, many recordings and videos exist of the two of them performing together.

• You can find loads of cassettes featuring either Ihya or Ajmaâ on this DailyMotion page. And there are a couple of what sound like field recordings for name your own price on Bandcamp here: https://ahwach.bandcamp.com/
• Here's a full poem about Corona virus authored by Ajmaâ during the early days of lockdown (in Tachelhit, translated into Arabic): https://www.pjd.ma/130335-68197.html
• Despite the absolute star status of Ajmaâ in the terrain of ahwach poetry and song, this remains a Bnat Ameln cassette. Ajmaâ appears only on first 2-1/2 minutes of A1, the first 4 minutes of B1, and throughout track B2, which is a dialogue between him and a female solo vocalist, ostensibly from the Bnat Ameln group. Interestingly, the cassette's tracks can be found online, but credited to Ajmaâ Lahcen, not to Bnat Ameln. 

 

• As mentioned in the previous post, the performance of ahwach ntfrkhine (girls' ahwach) typically features a group of women with their heads covered by one long cloth or by individual cloths. The j-card for this cassette pictures such a group, making it impossible to distinguish the members of the Bnat Ameln group. Since the days of this cassette, the Bnat Ameln group has continued working and producing music. Interestingly, the group's publicity photos and videos now prominently display its members' faces, particularly those of its leaders Safia and Keltoum.

 

Farqa Bnat Ameln [Groupe Bnat Ameln] فرقة بنات أملن
Bmsharkat Alfannan Almuqtadar [Featuring the talented artist] بمشاركة الفنان المقتدر
Lahcen Ajmaâ الحسن اجماع
Vol. 2
Ttamza Music cassette

A1 Adou Nouzalif اضو نوزليف
A2 Bismi Nakchamd بسم نکشمد
B1 Abouh Alikamt ابوه القامت
B2 Tazrart (Hiwar) تازرارت (حوار) 

FLAC | 320 

Sources consulted:

• Tirfinet. بروفايل الشاعر الكبير لحسن أجماع [Profile of the great poet Lahcen Ajmaâ]. February 6, 2026.
• Rachid Bijiguen. الفنان الأمازيغي إحيا بوقدير يرحل إلى دار البقاء [The Amazigh artist Ihya Bouqdir passes away]. Hespress, August 1, 2018. 
• Said Mekraz. أحواش "بنات أملن".. لوحة فنية بهية وفضاء لإبداع المرأة الأمازيغية [The "Bnat Ameln" Ahwach Troupe: A Splendid Artistic Tableau and a Space for Amazigh Women's Creativity]. 2M, August 8, 2026.