Who we are

Leadership:

Founder:

Ida London

Collaborator:

Farida Sellal

Mission Statement:

The “Imzad Preservation Project'' works toward the preservation of the endangered imzad instrument, a critical component of Tuareg culture, a nomadic people of the Sahel. The imzad is a critical sound in promoting female voices within the Tuareg as only women can play this instrument which holds varying levels of power and cultural significance in broader community dynamics. As of the early 2000s, only two women in Algeria still knew how to play the imzad. The project works to educate diverse communities and spread awareness about the autonomy of sound found within matriarchal Islamic communities. In addition, we work to garner funds through selling our unique handcrafted necklaces with ancient Tuareg art and symbols and from broader outreach efforts for the only imzad school in the world in Tamanrasset, Algeria. We did this in order to keep the sound of imzad and the messages it beholds echoing throughout the Sahel and the global matriarchal Islamic community. Unfortunately, once I sent all my proceeds and materials to the school, Farida Sellal, the former first lady of Algeria and founder of the school reached out to me. She told me that the school had to shut down due to economic turmoil and violence in the region. I am now writing my own book to continue the preservation efforts for the imzad.