The Berber people have their roots in northern Africa. It is believed that Berbers were living there four thousand or more years ago. In the 11th to 13th centuries the Berbers were quite powerful, controlling much of northern Africa and even parts of Spain. In the modern world Berbers live predominately in Morocco and Algeria, but also in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. They have a rich and ancient culture.
Dance and music are a big part of Berber culture. The traditions of their musical heritage dates back many centuries. The musical traditions and other aspects of their culture have been preserved, perhaps better than those of other societies because of a group of people who are similar to the bards of old Europe. These are groups of traveling musicians that make their way from village to village performing and continuing the ancient traditions through music and storytelling.
Rhythm is one of the predominate features of Berber music. The rhythms are typical of a lot of African music, but Berber music doesn't start there. It has a strong focus on melody, too. Indeed, instruments like bagpipes and oboes are used to bring a rather Celtic texture to some of the music. Yet melodic scales related to Chinese music add an air of Asian influence to the sounds.
While Berber music is performed and known in various parts of the world, it hasn't reached the level of exposure that a lot of African musical forms have attained. Still, there is an interest in the music that appears as far away as the United States. In fact, one of the earliest North African songs to gain a level of success in Europe came from Berber singer Idir.
There are traditional Berber musicians practicing their art in various countries of the world. They have different flavors and sounds, but all demonstrate the deep cultural richness that is inherent in music. Those seeking to find Berber music can look to Abdelli in Algeria, Bnet Marrakech in Morocco or Numidia in Spain. In fact, even France has a group performing traditional Berber music, Orchestre National de Barbes.