thumb|Part of the Malhun song "Lalla Ghita Moulati" performed by the artist Adnane Sefiani in a wedding in Salé, Morocco - November 2025
Malhun, meaning 'the melodic poem', is a form of music that originated in Morocco. It is a kind of urban, sung poetry written in Moroccan Darija or sometimes in hebrew that comes from the exclusively masculine working-class milieu of craftsmen's guilds.
On 6 December 2023, malhun was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists of Morocco.
Origins
The mǝlḥun first emerged as a pure literary creation, as a poetic genre today known in Morocco under the name of "qasida" (meaning "poem") (Arabic: القصيدة) or "zajal" (Arabic: الزجل). It developed in the Tafilalet oases of southern Morocco in the fifteenth century before it spread to other parts of the Maghreb.
Famous figures
Among the former authors of malhun, there is Abdelaziz al-Maghrawi and Abderrahman El Majdoub (died 1568) who was famous for his mystical quatrains. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Morocco saw a great number of poets who, whether from Fez, Meknes or Marrakesh, spread popular poetry using the melhun. Examples are Kaddour El Alamy and Thami Midaghri.
In modern days, prominent figures include Haj Houcine Toulali (1924-1998), Fatima Hadad, , Cheikh Mwijo and Zohra Al Fassiya. Fatima Hadad started an association in 2004 named Jawg Huwwat fann al-malhun for enthusiasts of Malhun.
See also
- Arabic music
- Music of Morocco
- Andalusi classical music
References
External links
- Le Malhoun, article de Nature et Culture, auteur Mario Scolas
- Retour de flamme pour le melhoun