Lemma & Souad Asla

The word lemma, used for centuries in the Saoura region of Algeria, expresses everything that is associated with the gathering, meeting with a glass of tea, with music and dancing. Lemma is a spell of the moment, preventing the dispersal of thoughts and actions, a binder integrating the culture of the ksour, or desert settlements of south-eastern Algeria.

In the music of eleven artists who form the Lemma group, the richness of four musical genres meets and binds to an unusually lively whole. The structural framework of the group's repertoire is outlined by Berberian Zaffan's songs. Declamatory in character, the high singing of the soloist here speaks of obedience to the rhythmic discipline of drums, while remaining in tune with the internal pulse of the songs. The composition of the whole is complemented by a corresponding soloist and chorus form taken from the Andalusian work of al-fard. The spiritual essence of Lemmy's music flows in a double stream fed by Sanskrit and Gn'wî species related to Sufism. It is not only forms of artistic expression, but also tools for experiencing the divine presence by immersing in a gathering pace, ecstatic, group experience of sounds and movements, strengthened by fragrances specially prepared for this occasion, incense and colors of unique fabrics.