Ritual and ceremonies of Sebeïba in the oasis of Djanet, Algeria

UNESCO: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - 2014 URL: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/... Description: The ritual and ceremonies of Sebeïba are practised by two communities living in the Djanet in the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Male dancers and female singers compete to represent their communities during a nine-day contest. The male dancers parade dressed as warriors and present their weapons, then stand in a ritual circle rattling their swords as the women sing traditional songs to the rhythm of the tambourine; the ritual symbolically wards off potential violence by transposing it to the realm of artistic competition. Country(ies): Algeria © Duration: 00:10:00 - Support: DVD (0066500036)