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who asked the first question? - International Research Center For ...

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45SaharaAs I have already mentioned, Sahara is traditionally considered as a part of NorthAfrica (or a buffer zone between <strong>the</strong> North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa). Mysuggestion is to distinguish Sahara as a separate region. This suggestion is based on <strong>the</strong>unique polyphonic traditions of Berber-Tuareg populations, unknown nei<strong>the</strong>r amongNorth African Arab populations, nor among sub-Saharan African peoples.The name Tuareg was given by <strong>the</strong> outsiders to <strong>the</strong> fearful militant tribes ofSahara desert. Berber is a generic and wider external name (possibly from Latin barbari(“those <strong>who</strong> speak a foreign language”). Term Imazighen (self-name, meaning “freemen”) is increasingly used.Berber-Tuareg populations are believed to be <strong>the</strong> earliest inhabitants of <strong>the</strong> NorthAfrica, joined by Phoenician traders about 1200 B.C. Toge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y built a Carthage andfor centuries were <strong>the</strong> fierce competitors of <strong>the</strong> Rome for <strong>the</strong> dominance over <strong>the</strong>Mediterranean basin. Berber warrior Hannibal came even through <strong>the</strong> Alps to defeatRome, although <strong>the</strong> Rome eventually wan <strong>the</strong> competition and destroyed Carthage in 202B.C. Drastic demographic changes for this region came much later, after <strong>the</strong> 688 A.D.with <strong>the</strong> <strong>first</strong> waves of Arabic invasions. Part of <strong>the</strong> Berber-Tuareg population wasassimilated, but ano<strong>the</strong>r part of <strong>the</strong> Berber-Tuareg population retreated deep into desertand mountain areas, where <strong>the</strong>y fought for centuries to maintain <strong>the</strong>ir identity andtraditional culture. Some populations of Berber-Tuaregs were not affected much byMuslim religion until <strong>the</strong> latter part of <strong>the</strong> 19 th century (Wendt, 1998:533). And eventoday, although Berber-Tuaregs consider <strong>the</strong>mselves Muslims, few unique “non-Moslem” features of <strong>the</strong>ir religion (such as matrilineal kinship and very high status ofunveiled women, or <strong>the</strong> tradition of <strong>the</strong> veiled men) are well known in <strong>the</strong> anthropologicliterature. Today Tuaregs live at eight different locations on <strong>the</strong> territories betweensou<strong>the</strong>rn Algeria, southwestern Libya, few regions of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and fewneighboring countries. Although nomadic peoples often display close languageconnections on vast territories, <strong>the</strong> existing Berber-Tuareg dialects are mutuallyunintelligible. According to <strong>the</strong> most optimistic (and inclusive) estimates, <strong>the</strong>re are about500 000 Tuaregs in Africa, although according to o<strong>the</strong>r, much more conservativeestimates, <strong>the</strong> “real Tuaregs” (camel-herding nomads) are only about ten to twelvethousand left in <strong>the</strong> Sahara desert. Large Berber (Imazighen) populations also live inAlgeria and Morocco. They mostly live in mountain ranges of Atlas, Djurdjura and Auresmountains, and sou<strong>the</strong>rn, desert parts of Algeria and Morocco. Ongoing fight of Berberpopulations for minority and women rights and for <strong>the</strong>ir language and culture is one of<strong>the</strong> important elements of North African political life (Goodman, 2002:274-275).Most importantly for our topic, toge<strong>the</strong>r with o<strong>the</strong>r elements of <strong>the</strong>ir culture,Berber-Tuaregs maintained <strong>the</strong> tradition of polyphonic singing. This tradition isparticularly spectacular during <strong>the</strong> traditional celebrations, when <strong>the</strong> <strong>who</strong>le village isparticipating in creating <strong>the</strong> complex “thick” texture of polyphony. Most of <strong>the</strong>participants sing a drone, unique for <strong>the</strong> polyphonic traditions of <strong>the</strong> entire Africancontinent. Ostinato formulas are also very usual among Tuareg polyphonic songs. Droneis sometimes sung by dancers (Wendt, 1998:543). Both men and women sing, althoughmen are preferred singers (and women are traditionally instrument players – ano<strong>the</strong>r

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