Blog Details

• Jan 26, 2025 |

When speech becomes spectacle

At the turn of a square or in the shade of a tent, a circle forms. Children settle in front, elders in the back, passersby stop, curious. In the center, a lone man, without scenery or microphone, captures all attention. This is the hlayqi, the master of words. The Halqa, an ancestral form of popular theater, transforms public space into a living stage. Historical tales, fantastic stories, social critiques, or satirical songs: here, everything passes through the word.

An art of rhythm and gaze

The secret of the Halqa lies not only in the story but in the way it is told. Voice that climbs and descends, broad gestures, dramatic pauses, knowing looks: every moment is meticulous. The artist improvises with his audience, plays with their reactions, bounces off a word or a laugh. It is an art of pure orality, where memory and spontaneity are the only instruments. Through the Halqa, it is an entire way of observing the world that is transmitted.

A collective memory in motion

At the Moulay Abdellah Moussem, the Halqa is not just entertainment, it's a tool for popular transmission. The stories told carry life lessons, cultural reference points, values of justice or solidarity. By making people laugh or reflect, they help keep entire generations of stories and identities alive. The circle remains open... so that memory continues to turn.