Najat Aatabou
Blessed with a powerful voice and an independent spirit, Moroccan singer Najat Aatabu has had a strong impact throughout the Maghreb. Her group plays traditional Arabic music and music of the Berbers, the indigenous pre-Arab people. Instrumentation includes the bendir (frame drum), dumbek (clay drum), six-string oud, four-stringed lotar, bass-like guimbri, and violin. Strong, vibrant rhythms push the tempo as strings play ornate Arabic melodies and Aatabu wails. Her pursuit of music, seen as an improper career for a woman, as well as the issues raised in her lyrics have placed her at the vanguard of the women's movement in Morocco. This country girl became a city woman, maintaining her roots while embracing the modern world.
