A recent research paper published in the latest issue of the “International Journal of Amazigh Studies,” issued by the Arab Democratic Center, confirmed that “Ahouach art” is a collective creative achievement and an expression of a purely human experience and specificity with aesthetic and performative dimensions, embodying the spirit of the community, its laws, and its verbal and non-verbal contexts.

The same research paper titled “Ahouach Between Performance and Memory” explained that “Ahouach is one of the heritage symbols that nurture Amazigh memory and its collective imagination; it is the art that clearly preserves and expresses its identity in the Sous region,” highlighting that “the vast geographical area that embraced this art in creativity and practice led to the diversity of Ahouach art, its many colors, names, and performance methods.”

The document also stated that “the spectator in Ahouach art does not merely watch, but this performance transfers them from one state to another, as the power of the moment compels psychological, intellectual, and emotional interaction and response with the central characters in the Ahouach arena.”

The paper emphasized that “those who deeply observe the Ahouach performance in Tafraout and its surroundings will find that this art profoundly affects the spectator, as the harmonious structures of this performative art lead them to desire to take the place of the characters creating this artistic performance,” considering that “what intensifies this embodiment and immersion is the theatrical aspects of Ahouach, such as the direct confrontation between troupe members and the audience, known as breaking the imaginary wall.”

The document also confirmed that “Ahouach holds a special place in Sous literature in particular, and Moroccan literature in general, because it exists as it does and continues to embody the concerns and national, social, political, and religious issues of the Amazigh people. Thus, Ahouach in Tafraout and other regions producing this art reflects the pains and hopes of these tribal societies.”

The same source pointed out that “awareness of the importance of this art and its connection to memory is evident in surpassing its exploitation as a folkloric product or viewing it as a mere fleeting performative moment ending with the dispersal of ‘Asaïs.’ Rather, it is greater than these considerations; it is the memory of the Amazigh person, their identity, and an icon of their existence, interaction, and emotional engagement with themselves and their environment.”

The document also affirmed that “the poet’s status in the tribe, especially in Ahouach, is derived from the hidden symbolic authority carried by their poetic language, charged with wisdom and eloquence. Through it, they managed to surpass the general public in their poetic treatment of a range of topics that concern people and capture their attention, whether political, social, religious, customary, or moral.”

The paper explained that “Ahouach is a complex art form; on one hand, it is a form of performing arts preceding theater, sharing with it several points such as the performative dimension, direct audience participation without barriers, the feature of poetic dialogue, the critical purpose regarding social conditions, and the presence of conflict in dialogic poetry like ‘An’iibar’ and other elements.” It added: “On the other hand, Ahouach is considered the first school and the fundamental starting point in the historical trajectory of Amazigh poetry development, from which the Rawais school emerged, followed by the ‘Tiroya’ groups.”

The same source concluded that “working on such intangible achievements within our shared national culture is the proper way to revive memory as a mechanism that builds and reconstructs the collective imagination and can revive and circulate it.”