(ملیسدة) = Lamima Al Mima (Milouda)

This 45-rpm single, released by the label La Voix Du Maghreb, features the iconic Moroccan musician Hamid Zahir. Zahir was a prominent figure in the Marrakshi folk music scene during the mid-twentieth century, known for his ability to blend traditional Gnawa and Chaabi influences into a lighthearted, rhythmic style that captured the spirit of the bustling city of Marrakesh. This specific recording, cataloged as V.M. 4.124, serves as a representative example of the post-independence era in Morocco, a time when local recording labels were instrumental in documenting and popularizing regional folk artists for a wider national audience.

The composition Lamima Al Mima, also known as Milouda, highlights Zahir’s signature vocal delivery and his adept use of the guembri and traditional percussion. The design of the sleeve adheres to the minimalist aesthetic common to North African regional labels of the period, which focused on clear identification of the artist and track title to appeal to local listeners and market stalls. While Hamid Zahir’s work was widely received as the definitive sound of Marrakesh, these records were produced in limited runs, making them prized artifacts for collectors interested in the evolution of Moroccan urban folk music.