Tuareg Lullaby (Libya)
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Tuareg Lullaby (Libya) Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by the Tuareg people of southern Libya’s Sahara, whose women are the traditional keepers of the imzad, a single-stringed desert violin. Playing the imzad is traditionally reserved exclusively for Tuareg women, while men are expected only to listen, often composing poetry on the spot inspired by the music, a call-and-response tradition between musician and poet that has helped keep both arts alive across generations. Here you will find the lyrics, meaning, and chords.
Lyrics & chords
An original arrangement, with guitar & piano chords above each line.
Verse
What the words mean
Chords — guitar & piano
What “Tuareg Lullaby (Libya)” Means
In Tamahaq, the language of Libya’s Tuareg people, “ma” means mother. Tuareg women are the traditional keepers of the imzad, a single-stringed violin played to accompany poetry and lullabies beneath the Saharan stars. This original lullaby draws on those desert and musical images of Tuareg life in Libya, with “ma” used as a gentle address rather than a literal translation.
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