Chaoui is a genre of Berber music that originates from the Aurès region in Algeria. It is a mixture of Sahrawi music and marked, dancing rhythms. The first recording of this genre on magnetic tape date back to the 1930s with Aissa Djermouni where the chaoui music had started to be known internationally.
Over the years, the chaoui genre has given birth to various sub-genres such as, Modern Chaoui, Funk-Chawi and Rock-Chaoui. It was popularized mostly in the 1930s and 1940s, but it's still relevant today.
In its most frequent configuration, a chaoui music group includes usually a zorna, a gasba, a bendir and one or more singers. Modern chaoui can also use non-traditional instruments such as the rhythm guitar. One of the characteristics of chaoui music is that it does not exceed three notes, as in all Berber music, chaoui music is very tonal.