2023-12-28 21:16:41
“Arden”… a Mauritanian musical instrument for women only
Artist Farha Mint Bob Gedo feels the strings of “Arden” to play her piece smoothly. Her fingertips move between the strings of her musical instrument, which was invented by the Mauritanian woman and made specifically for her, so that she can monopolize it without the man competing with her.
According to the Arab World News Agency, Farha’s fingers seemed as if she had surrendered to the machine, and the exciting experience took her to different worlds that express feelings and thoughts more than words. The listeners listened as she played pieces on that stringed instrument, which were pleasing to the ears.
Farha says that this musical instrument is a type of harp, which was played in ancient civilizations, especially the Pharaonic ones, and it arrived in Mauritania in the eighteenth century to be monopolized by women in the form of “Arden”.
For his part, artist Murad Ould Ahmed Zidane believes that women playing the “Arden” is due to the environment in which this musical instrument originated in a conservative society that prohibited mixing between men and women in the past.
He continues that, for this reason, the instrument was designated for women, while men played the “Tednit”, which is a Mauritanian musical instrument that resembles an oud, and has 4 or 5 strings.
The Ardennes reached Mauritania in the eighteenth century (Arab World News Agency)
The Arden instrument consists of a large cup made of timber, to which is attached a long horizontal stick; The cup is divided into two parts, then the strings between the oud and the cup are tightened using keys fixed to the column to adjust the sound and move between the maqams. The circular cup is covered with leather to be used as a drum, and writings and drawings are drawn on it that have meanings that cannot be deciphered or understood. Only the artist understands it. In this way, the precious instrument created by the woman takes shape.
In this context, Farha bint Bob Jaddo told the agency that the “Arden” musical instrument combines playing and rhythm, as the notes do not exceed 5 sounds. She added: “It is distinguished from other instruments in that it includes strings and maqams.”
In turn, the artist Kamban Bint Aal Warkan, who is one of the most famous Mauritanian artists, believes that she cannot perform a song unless she plays the “Arden”.
In an interview with the agency, Bint Aal Warkan, who belongs to an ancient artistic family, continued that the first thing the artist learns is how to play this instrument, as this is part of the identity of the artistic history of her ancestors.
Playing that stringed instrument is pleasing to the ears (Arab World News Agency)
To protect this popular heritage from extinction and loss, a group of female artists organized a special festival for the “Arden” instrument to recognize its significance and contribution to adding beauty and creativity to the rich Mauritanian music.
The sixth edition of the festival was held on December 24 and 25 in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, during which musical performances were played and folklore performances were held by young artists.
The festival’s president, Aisha Bint Shaghali, said that the Ardennes instrument represents one of the national symbols that must be preserved and not allowed to be swept away by the trend of globalization.
While Mauritanian artists believe that popular musical arts face the risk of extinction in light of the rapid growth of new types and styles of music imported from abroad, Bint Shaghali said that the disappearance of traditional musical arts poses a threat to the cultural heritage of Mauritanian society, which has its own music that distinguishes it from other peoples.
New styles of music performed by young Mauritanian artists have spread, sparking controversy on social media, as some of them believe that they have nothing to do with the country’s cultural identity. Bint Shaghali confirms that this festival, which was organized for the first time in 2017, aims to protect the “Ardennes” instrument, following its role declined. Young people no longer want to learn to play it.
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