Music has always travelled well in the desert — it needs no electricity, no stage, just voices, a handful of instruments, and an evening around the fire. Among Hassani and Tamazight-speaking nomadic communities, that oral musical tradition is still very much alive.
Instruments and Themes
Traditional instruments include the guembri (a three-stringed bass lute), the ney flute, the bendir frame drum, the djembé, and, more recently, guitar. The songs themselves cover the same ground music always has: daily life, nature, the camels that carry a family’s whole livelihood, love, freedom and spirituality.
Where You Can Hear It
Beyond the campfire, this music has a real public stage: M’Hamid El Ghizlane hosts both the Festival Taragalte and the International Nomads Festival, drawing performers from across the Sahara. Groups such as Génération Taragalte, Daraa Tribes and Joudour Sahara have carried this tradition to audiences well beyond the desert.
On Your Trip
Many of our evenings include live music around the fire — a guitar, a bendir, and whoever feels like singing. It is one of the simplest pleasures of a night in the Sahara.
Related Reading
- Cooking in the Desert: Secrets of Moroccan Nomads
- Life and Habitat in the Desert: From Tents to Kasbahs
- The Challenges Facing Saharan Pastoral Nomads Today
Curious to experience it yourself? Explore our M'Hamid desert excursions.