26/05/2025
Under the benevolent guidance of Sidi Omar, the revered marabout of , unfolds an enchanting sonic adventure, at the crossroads of tradition and innovation.
In 2021, an artistic residency of our EL MOUTANAKIL platform came to life in the great southern Algerian city of Timimoun. This magical encounter between Ahellil, the sacred chant of , and electronic vibrations marked the beginning of a unique journey. It is here that Abdelkader Boumessous, also known as 3ABDELKADER, a DJ and techno producer with a dark and industrial universe, began his musical odyssey.
Alongside Dark Mate, a young prodigy of the techno scene, 3abdelkader immersed himself in the mystical world of Timimoun's artists. Inspired by the ancestral chants of Ahellil, they wove connections between past and future.
Ahellil, the sacred repertoire of Gourara, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2005, is a symphony in four acts: Lemserrah, Aougrout, Tra, and Ijdal. In a circle, the choir leader, Tabshniwt or Abshniw, armed with the Aqallal and accompanied by the Tamja player, sings the verse, to which the choir responds shoulder to shoulder. The chant then reverses, with the choir taking over in an Arrazi, before the Tandiht concludes the phase with a graceful forward-bending motion, returning to its initial position.
This vinyl tells an odyssey. Between tradition and innovation, our journeys to Timimoun gave birth to this artistic encounter. Our quest then turned to the promotion of Ahellil through audiovisual archives and an exceptional two-part show at the Mahieddine Bachtarzi National Theater, during the European Cultural Festival of Algiers, on June 25, 2021, after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first part of the show highlighted the Ahellil group of Baba (Khammes Mohamed), marking a historic debut for this music on the national theater stage. The second part was dedicated to 3abdelkader, with a LIVE ACT performance drawing from the recordings made in Timimoun. He became the first Algerian techno artist to perform at the National Algerian Theater.
This adventure led to the creation of a vinyl produced by our Label OPEN HI HAT, a true sound archive, reflecting our approach to accessibility and the fusion between traditional and electronic music. Numerous audio and video recordings were made to create a digital archive for the public. This vinyl, complementary to this archive, symbolizes our commitment to the preservation and evolution of this musical heritage.
On side A, the interpretation in Zenati language by the group of Baba, Mohamed Khames (Abshniw) and Na Baghafara (Tabshniwt), recorded in 2023 in a temporary studio we set up in a traditional tent at Dar El Kser in Timimoun, with the collaboration of Casbah Studio members: Badri Zouani and Djamel Ghannai, immerses us in the spirituality of Ahellil chants. This is the first time that Ahellil music has been produced in a studio for a professional recording. These tracks, with their long rhythms, transport us through the history of Gourara, praising God, the Prophet, the marabouts, and the holy men such as Sidi Omar, Sidi Moussa, and Dada Bihi.
Side B, signed by 3abdelkader, is an electronic trilogy evoking the first three phases of Ahellil (Lemserrah, l’Aougrout, le Tra). In a desert-like ambiance reminiscent of Mars, his music unveils a first track amidst the Ksour of BA Salem. This performance, broadcast on our YouTube channel, left a mark on the Algerian electronic music scene, exploring the myths and legends of the aligned castles, with the seventh buried under the dunes.
This performance is part of our audiovisual archiving approach, aiming to create documentation that, we hope, will aid future generations in their research on the Algerian music scene, in a historical and intergenerational context.
The other two tracks merge electronic and traditional chants, taking us on a journey through electronic music rhythms. 3abdelkader preserves the soul of these chants while projecting them into an electronic future. He references the absent fourth phase, symbolizing the eternity of this music, opening the door to future generations and perpetuating its endless legacy.
Thus, EL MOUTANAKIL is not just a platform but an epic sound journey, a bridge between the old and the new, a celebration of Algerian identity through the ages.
Many thanks to everyone who participated in this project.
Many thanks to all our partners:
AFAC - The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture for producing the vinyl.
Deutsche Botschaft Algier سفارة ألمانيا بالجزائر
Institut Français d'Algérie
For the Timimoun residency
