WE WELCOME THOSE WHO COME TO US

We are pleased to welcome Hicham Ounamir to SAVVY Contemporary for the second time, with a workshop in Aḥwash collective song-dances and a concert. This event marks the culmination of an artistic residency of his ensemble Izouran, carried out in collaboration with the Doom-Mood collective. It’s a part of their ongoing research & living archive „Cry of the Soil” combining ecosomatics, sonic choreography, folk music and intercultural dialogue – instigated to feel from within the flesh of the world we are part of. The workshop will focus on Aḥwash songs from the Taznakht region, collected during their latest field trip. In the concert that follows, Izouran will share a series of improvisations and experimentations on Aḥwash developed during the residency, which centered on exploring questions of sustainability and synergy.

Aḥwash is a diverse Amazigh tradition of chanted poetry in a form of collective dance-singing, typical for Moroccan Atlas Mountains and the surrounding areas. This practice, usually performed outdoors, is based on repetitions and polyrhythms, allowing participants to delve into the essence of community and the intrinsic connection between sound, movement, and the environment. The dance consists of delicate movements, always staying close to the body's axis, embodying the moral ethos of Amazigh culture: everything should be balanced.
 
The workshop will begin with somatic-rhythmic exercises led by Borys Slowikowski as a warm-up to prepare the bodies for movement-singing coordination, and make it more receptive to the groove. From there, we will transition into Ahwash practices: Hicham will teach us several collective song-dances, accompanied by the drums. Participation in this workshop doesn’t require former musical background.
 
Hicham Ounamir is a multiinstrumentalist and song-writter from Amazer, an oasis in Low Atlas. He embarked on his musical journey in 2001, self-teaching instruments such as the banjo, guitar, violin, and piano. He immersed himself in Arabic and Amazigh music while playing alongside friends, performing extensively at local events, weddings, and festivals. Hicham's breakthrough arrived in 2013 during a performance with the Ait Baamrane tribe in Sidi Ifni, where he gained recognition as a versatile musician skilled in various styles. In 2017, Hicham released his debut album, Ouznagh Tabrat. He is a member of the interdisciplinary Doom-Mood Collective and frontman of Amazigh experimental pop band Izouran.

ⵉⵣⵓⵔⴰⵏ Izouran is a band based in Amazer (South Morocco) and Berlin (East Germany). It was born from the encounter between multi-instrumentalist Hicham Ounamir and percussionist Borys Slowikowski. Together with violinist Penelope Gkika, and bassist Adam Goodwin they craft sounds rooted in Teshlehit music. They see tradition as a radical artistic practice in itself – driven by relationality and care, based in sustainability and synergy. 

Doom-Mood Collective is a porous collective of artists and researchers from rural and urban areas working acroess traditional and experimental dance.