Azday, Gathering Stories of Food - Long Song & Couscous

Illustration by Bjørn Ihler

In the extreme North West of Libya lives the Amazigh community of At Willul. The At Willul have inhabited the area surrounding the city of Zuwara for centuries. Yet, despite their historic roots, much of their history and culture have gone unrecorded. Sadly, this is particularly evidenced by the minimal amount of sources in existence preserving their culinary heritage.  

To ensure the preservation of At Willul dishes, culinary traditions, and mythologies, 15 Amazigh elders were asked to reflect upon these topics. The story you are about to read is one of the traditions they recounted. 

The Amazigh people are distinguished by the multitude of their dishes. Couscous, ‘ⴽⵙⴽⵙⵓ’ is one of the Amazigh staple foods, consisting of small grains made out of wheat. The word Couscous traces its roots to the Tamazight language and it is derived from the phrase meaning ‘small pieces’ or ‘well rounded’. Couscous serves as the base for a variety of dishes, also known as couscous.

When preparing Couscous, either in the process of Ibran or when grinding ingredients, the women gathered would long sing together. In certain circumstances, this could last for hours. This can be viewed as a technique to pass the time while working. Long singing would sometimes be reactionary. One woman would sing a verse and another one would respond in turn. This form of singing is now only done by the elders of the Amazigh community, and like many other traditions, such practices are slowly dying.

Long singing is a free form of singing that can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. It is usually performed by At Willul female elders, who traditionally sing together at weddings and other celebrations. Long songs are sung in a low melancholic tone, and can contain both prose and poetry. The lyrics alternate between a memorized verse or being improvised in the moment. Each situation is different, and it all depends on the inspiration and the event. 

This story is part of Azday ‘ⴰⵣⴷⴰⵢ ‘ project, an effort to document the culinary heritage of the At Willul. You can find more stories of Amazigh culinary heritage in the Azday booklet.

Azday project is funded by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The project is conducted in partnership with the At Wellol Movement.