Ahouach refers to a folkloric style of music and associated dance from southern Morocco

Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

. an Ahwach session is held by a number of performers (sometimes more than 20 performers) from both men and women (in some regions; only men) playing on the rhythms of drums while chanting, Ahwach is famous in the Amazigh (berber) regions of Morocco, especially, the region of Ouarzazate, Zagoura, Souss.

The root h-w-sh means "dance", but the term ahwash encompasses 1) general idea of (musical) performance 2) An evening of song and dance 3) a single piece and 4) the dance section of a single piece.

History

It is an exclusively Berber

Berber people

Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...

 village music

Berber music

The Berber people is the indigenous and major ethnic group inhabiting North Africa and part of West Africa . Berbers call themselves "imazighen"...

, probably unchanged for centuries or longer. Ahouach texts emphasize the submission of the individual to the community. Typically, it consists of two large choruses engaging in call-and-response vocals, accompanied by instrumentalists and dancers. Since this music requires anywhere from 20 to 150 participants, it is not easily portable and so rarely heard in the cities.

Famous Ahwach Groups

From region to region, Ahouach groups deffer slightly in the way of performing and every region has its spcefique touch and style.

Mizane Houara

From Taroudante, is characterized by the dual dance between the women and men in movements same as the ones performed by Capoera fighters.