Algerian Radio
On Wednesday evening in Algiers, the "El Ferda" troupe from Bechar performed a concert of authentic songs celebrating ancestral cultural richness and diversity before a relatively large audience.
For over two hours, Larbi Bestam, the troupe's leader and lead singer, enchanted the audience at the "Boualem-Bessaïh" Algiers Opera, after expressing "all his joy at being reunited with them."
Backed by Abdrabbi Bouhamza on the viola, Farouk Benabdellah on the keyboard, Abdelouahab Hosni on the derbouka, as well as Abderabbi Benadda, Lakhdar Hamidi, and Hamza Mouna on percussion, Larbi Bestam, playing the Oud (lute), performed about fifteen pieces from the "Tawasol" repertoire, a variant of Melhoun widely popular in the Saoura region.
Offering praises to the Divine and celebrating the adoration of His Prophet (PBUH) through several M'dihs, Larbi Bestam and his ensemble performed tracks including "Krim El Kourama," "Es'sla wes'lem âla' N'bi," "Djillali ya Boualem," "Djoud, djoud ya moulana" (tindi), "Ya men'dra," "Salam salamou," and "Benbouziane," among others.
The musical identity of the troupe from Kenadsa (a small town in Bechar) is highlighted through the dense sounds of traditional melodies and percussion instruments. These notably include the karkabous and El Ferda (a wide, flat drum placed directly on the ground), as well as the Oud, which, combined with the slow pace of irregular and ternary cadences, emphasize the uniqueness of this musical genre.
Interacting with the spectators by having them sing along to some of his choruses, Larbi Bestam utilized his talents as a seasoned professional to conclude each piece in the captivating lightness of the "Berouali" rhythm (6/8).
The audience danced to every song, appreciating a repertoire imbued with authenticity and elevated by the richness of Algerian musical and poetic heritage. This heritage has been nurtured over the centuries by eminent popular writers, such as Sheikhs Sidi Kaddour El Alami, Sidi Mohamed Ba Azzi, and Tahar Saidi.
Formed in 1991, the "El Ferda" troupe, which has represented Algeria abroad on multiple occasions, has to its credit an album and a series of 17 recordings released as a box set in 2011 by the National Office of Copyrights and Neighboring Rights (ONDA).
El Ferda continues to "explore the musical repertoire of the Kenadsa region," Larbi Bestam stated, before concluding that he and his troupe "pay particular attention to research, in search of new texts and Qcid (poems)."
