GUEDRA: THE FAQ
revised 8/22/96


The Guedra is the Tuareg Blessing dance. In Arabic the Guedra is
also the name of the cooking pot (or cauldron) which these nomads carry
with them. This pot was covered with an animal skin to make a drum. The
Guedra rhythm according to Morocco is: duh DAH m duh DAH/ dun
DAH m duh DAH. She compares this to the Flamenco Bulerias rhythm,
which is the same basic beat. It is not traditionally played on a dombeck
and there are no sharp "tek" sounds used.

Unlike other trance dances of the middle east (the Zar, the
Hadraa), it does not involve the exorcism of demon spirits or killing
chickens. It is purely benficial and joyful. The Guedra which Morocco
audio-taped at King Hassan's palace was three hours long. The moves are
simple, but like all trance dances, you must lose yourself in the movement
and feel it before you can truly make it work. And the thing about trance
dances is that they do work, i.e. inducing altered states of consciousness.

TUAREG ORIGINS

The origins of the Tuareg, like other Berber tribes, are lost in
antiquity. Scholars have claimed to find both Christian and pagan
practices in their customs, although today's Tuareg are muslim. Guedra
uses Muslim chants in its songs, but it obviously has other associations.
The Tuareg culture today has been irrevocably damaged by the current
political situation, which has divided them into several areas under the
control of different governments.

The Tuareg are one of the many Berber tribes; the "blue people"
are a sub-grouping of the Tuareg, i.e. all Blue people are Tuareg, but not
all Tuareg are "Blue People" They are so called because they really ARE
blue. They use a fabric dyed by a process which involves pounding
indigo powder into the cloth with a stone. Since desert tribespeople don't
take a lot of baths, this blue powder rubs off on their skin. In fact, they
consider this blue coloring to have a beneficial and cosmetic effect. It
appears that it does acctually help hold moisture in the skin. The Tuareg
do not refer to themselves as "Tuareg" which they consider a perjorative
term. They have become known as "the People of the Veil", or "Kel
Tagilmus" because of the habit that Tuareg men have of wearing a veil
after a certain age, while the women go unveiled.
They have strong matriarchial influences in their culture. Men
hold the cheftain and council positions, but Chieftanship is hereditary
through the female line. Inheritance is through the mother's side and a
man who marries out of his tribe will move to the woman's tribe. A man
may move up in society by marrying a higher status woman, but the
woman seldom marry below their station. The women engage in contests
of strength. The Tuareg men are recognized as some of the fiercest
warriors in the desert, and some of the best traders. In short, the position
of Tuareg women in their society is unique.

TUAREG MARRIAGE AND COURTSHIP

Despite any comments you might hear about the Guedra dancers
as "prostitutes", the truth is that in their culture, according to Morocco, it
is considered an advantage to gain experience in love - both men and
women have many lovers before marriage. The respect and freedom
given to Tuareg women is easily misinterpreted by the members of other
tribes with more restrictions upon women. Where prostitution does exist,
it is heartily condemmed by Tuareg society.

Before marriage the women are said to enjoy a surprising measure
of freedom. According to Rodd they do no work, but instead dance and
sing and make poetry. Tuareg society includes a noble class and a slave
class. Noble women who own slaves do as little work as possible. They
make cheese and butter, sort dates, or herd goats. They are said to be
skilled at leatherwork, but Tuareg men are said to have the most skill at
needlwork and sewing clothes.

Unlike their neighbors, Tuareg women are allowed to choose their
mates; polygamy is allowed but not generally practiced. Courtship dances
are held to give the young people a chance to meet: the "tendi" and the
"ahal". The tendi is usually an afternoon celebration, while the ahal is
held in the evening and might feature a visiting musician. The Tuareg
even have an equivalent to the medieval "court of love" with a "Sultan"
and "Sultana" chosen to preside over the gathering. Rodd claims that it
is comon for a girl to take a camel and ride all night to see a man, and
them return to her own place; or for a suitor to undertake superhuman
expeditions to see his lady.

The Tuareg bride retains control of all her personal property,
including livestock, while the husband is expected to pay the family's
expenses. After marriage, respectable behavior is required of both sexes,
but a woman may have friends of both sexes in a way that correlates more
to western culture. A Tuareg proverb says, "Men and women towards
each other are for the eyes and the heart, and not only for the bed."
Another possible reason for misunderstanding the virtue of
Tuareg women is exemplified by the male writer who reported that until
1956 the dance was performed bare-breasted. According to Morocco this
was more likely a misunderstanding caused by the fact that a foreign man
would not have had access to the Guedra tribal women; he would be more
likely to encounter prostitutes. Morocco also adds that in Southern
Morocco (which is in North Africa) as in much of the middle east, it is
still nothing special to go bare-chested. In this part of the world the
female breast is considered more utilitarian than erotic.

COSTUME

The traditional women's costume is essential to the dance. It is a
haik which is formed from one very large piece of material. The haik is
held in front by two fibula pins of ancient design, with a long chain draped
between the two. (similar to the Celtic Pentanulum). For examples of
Tuareg jewelry, check out the book "AFRICA ADORNED".
There is a related dance which is done for weddings in a long dress. This
dance is the "Betrothal Dance of Tissint" and can be seen on Morocco's
video as part of the Guedra suite performed by her troupe in the
"Benediction" section.

The traditional headdress is decorated with cowrie shells, as are
the artificial braids which hang from it. The dancer weaves her her hair in
with the fake ones to hold in the the headpiece, which is a decorated wire
framework - one piece circling around the top of the head and one arcing
from the top of the frontspiece to the back of the bottom circlet. Other
versions appear to be merely a mass of braids circled at the top of the
head. This is very practical for desert wear, since it leaves an airspace
open above the head. It also means that the only dance movements which
would show well are the hands and face, and a few feet movements. Feet
movements are mostly flat-footed with some toe-toe, heel-heel, slide
movements to the side.

The Tuareg women use henna on their finger and toe nails, and
kohl (antimony) for their eyes. On festive occasions they daub their
cheeks and foreheads with paint, prepared from a whitish earth found near
Agades, or with red or yellow ochres.

CHOREOGRAPHY

The basic rhythm puts the emphasis on the second beat. Guedra
accompaniment consists of clapping, chanting, and drumming. The basic
move is a hand flick. Doing this in different ways gives different
meanings. The dance begins with the head covered by the end of the
garment (a haik, with a caftan worn underneath; color is Taureg blue
and/or black). This symbolizes being in darknesss and lacking
understanding/knowledge. The dancer begins her hand moves and
gradually lifts the material back onto her headdress when she feels ready.

Choreography is not complex, but having the correct intentions
and focus are everything. The dancer starts with the end of her haik
covering her head until she is ready. The Guedra may be performed by
one women, two women, or a woman and a child.

The dancer may begin by greetings members of the audience
thusly: with both hands: taking the other person's hand, touching it to the
forheads of both people 3 times, and then pressing the hand firmly within
both the Guedra's hands. Friends or married people would kiss each
other's hands three times afterwards (the Guedra dancer would be doing
this through her veil.) . There may also be a "magic necklace" given to
the dancer, especially if a man has requested the dance for someone. The
dancer may begin and end either standing or sitting. The basic move of the
dance is a series of hand flicks which have symbolic meaning.

The dance begins with hand flicks to the four directions (north,
south, east, west), then to the elements: heaven (up), earth (down), wind
(out), water (moving down). The hands also represent time elements: to
the back (the past), to the side (present), and to the front (present).
Morocco also mentioned that in the east they believe the heart is fickle, so
if you truly mean something you say, "I feel it in my liver!". Therefore, to
truly bless someone, you flick from the stomach, the heart, then the head.
Periodically you may flick toward yourself, to gather back in some of the
energy which you have sent out.

As momentum builds, the dancer may feel compelled to add head
sways, which make the braids swing back and forth. All of these moves
should be sharp, accented ones - not graceful, delicate ones. The dancer
may end the dance on the floor. In fact, Morocco said, she has to be
careful to remember when she's doing a performance demonstration not to
get too involved - She has actually "tranced out" and ended up on the floor
without planning it!

GUEDRA CHANTS

In Guedra chanting, the chanters should strive for a continuous sound
between the two parts; this aids the dancer in attaining a trance state.
Claps and counter-claps are used with a drums. Go "ahead" of the beat
with the vocals, not right on it. Use the longer chants for beginning the
dance and end with the more frenzied shorter chants. The actual tempo
remains constant and claps do not speed up. The lead chanter must be in
touch with the dancer so as to change the chants at the appropriate
moment. The entire group must work as one to really make this work.

The Guedra Chants as recorded on Morocco's tape are as follows.

ALLAL HELAWALDIN "May God be with our ancestors"
AH HAWEYEH "May it be so"
A'ISH HASSAN TANEH "Life to the King" (King Hassan)
A'ISH ENAH EMALEH "Life to us, too!"
WA HO WA JEH "He is coming"
HA HAY WA JET "She is coming"
(He/She are used interchangeably because during ritual the
Guedra embodies both the male and the female essence. She is then a
vessel for the divine as she enters the trance. "Coming", i.e. coming into
trance.)

JAHWEE "Smell of Heaven, Frankinscense"
HOWEE "One of the 7 levels of spiritual love"


LESSONS/VIDEO/INFO:

Morocco, a.k.a Carolina Varga Dinicu, has researched this dance in person
amongst the Tuareg of Morocco.
She has for sale videos of the Marrakesh Festival as well as one of her troupe performing Guedra.

TUAREG IN POPULAR MOVIES

"The Man who Would be King" has a sequence in the middle where a
group of women are said to be "daughters of the chief" and offered to
Sean Connery. They are wearing burgandy dresses, and are sitting and
dancing.

"The Sheltering Sky" is an art movie which has beautiful scenery from
Morocco. Toward the end of the story the female lead is rescued and
romanced by what appears to be a Tuareg male. Very steamy sequences!
No dancing, however.

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REFERENCES: GUEDRA

Gersi, Douchan. FACES IN THE SMOKE ; An eyewitness experience of
vodoo, shamanism, psychic healing .... St. Martin's Press, Los Angeles,
1991. 223 p. (Has a chapter on the Tuareg)

"Guedra: Spreading Soul's Love and Peace to the Beat of the Heart"
Morocco. HABIBI, Summer 93, vol. 12, No. 3. P.4

"Morocco and its Dances" A 2 part series by Donna Lea Smith.
ARABESQUE: Pt I: Vol VIII, No. 3, Sept-Oct, 1982. Pl 14. PT II: Vol
VII, No. 4, Nov-Dec, 1982. P. 10

"Dances of the Maghreb" A series by Dr. Bettina Knapp. ARABESQUE:
PT II: Vol XIV, No. 3, Sept-Oct, 1988. P. 8. PT III: Vol SIV, No. 4,
Nov-Dec, 1988. P. 8. .
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REFERENCES: TUAREG TRIBE

"Where all the Women are Strong (Women of the Tuareg tribe)" Barbara
A. Worley. Natural History. Nov. 1992. V101 N11 p. 54. Discussion of
a wrestling competition amongst the women.

"Tuareg Silent Lives". Frances Dal Chele. UNESCO Courier., Nov.
1994. p. 12. Legendary masters of the North African Desert; today the
Tuaregs still exist but they are finding it difficult to maintain their
traditions.

Briggs, Lloyd Cabot. TRIBES OF THE SAHARA. Harvard Univ Press.
Cambridge, 1960. 295 pp.

Rodd, Frances Rennell. PEOPLE OF THE VEIL. MacMillan & Co. Ltd.
London, 1926. An account of the habits, organizations, and history of the
wandering Tuareg trives which inhabit the Mountains of Air or Asben in
the Central Sahara.