Members of the all-male 'Kabareh Cheikhats' troupe, including singers, actors and dancers, hope their unique performances of an art once dominated by women can revive the tradition.
RABAT - Men in make-up and wigs twirl on stage in colourful robes to applause in Morocco, resurrecting the musical art of Aita and challenging gender stereotypes in the conservative Muslim-majority kingdom.
The group travels across the North African nation mapping out the many varieties of Aita, a genre that has long been popular in the countryside. When Morocco was under the grip of French rule from 1912 to 1956, Aita became a form of anti-colonial resistance, expressed in dialects the authorities had no chance of understanding."At that time, authorities paid particular attention to this music as they could use it as a vehicle for propaganda," said Najmi.Famous female cheikhate singers were invited to parties and national ceremonies up until the 1990s.
Amine Naouni, one of the troupe's actors, said Kabareh Cheikhats unapologetically pays tribute to the "strong women" of the past.
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