Sheikhates Blues (2004)

The female Moroccan musicians known as sheikhates sing about the realities of life - about the land, nature, wars, mountains, crises and, of course, they sing about love. In short, their music represents the heritage of Morocco. Director Ali Essafi offers a marvelous portrait of the daily lives of these regional folk singers, exploring how their music has evolved over the years - along with society's acceptance of the women who perform this music in public. One singer recalls that she had to slip out of the house when her husband was asleep in order to perform her songs in 1953, when she was just fifteen years old. She went on to a notable career as a sheikhates singer, but retired to run a small store when musical styles became more modern. SHEIKHATES BLUES features interviews with many of the popular musicians of today, who perform a number of their wonderful songs, and culminates with a colorful sheikhates performance at the Rabat Music Festival of 2003.