Howling queen! Women face off at Tangier's ululation contest

M/S Competitor performing ululation *UPSOUND*, Tangier
M/S Man singing and woman performing ululation *UPSOUND*
W/S Audience
M/S Presenter speaking *UPSOUND* SOT, presenter (Arabic): "[This] ensures that we preserve our ancient traditional culture."
M/S Musician playing oud
SOT, Si Baqali, Owner of Cultural Cafe (Arabic): "It took us sometime to put the idea in place but we did not expect all this success."
M/S Competitor performing ululation *UPSOUND*
SOT, Ahmed Mernissi, Member of organising committee (Arabic): "This is a truly unique initiative and we have discovered new vocalists that we didn't know. This woman who one the first prise, god bless her, she has the voice of a bird, a truly unique voice, of course it's natural as she is actually a professional singer, she performs the Granada traditional music and she is experienced on how to use her vocal abilities and how to breath how to stand in front of an audience."
M/S Man sings and competitor performsululation *UPSOUND*
M/S Presenter announcing winner of competition
SOT, Asmaa Asheri, Winner of competition (Arabic): "I was 90 percent sure that I would win because I am aware of my vocal abilities, I don't mean to be overconfident but I have already performed before and this year I will start my first year at the conservatoire. I would like to send my best regards to all the women in here, the ones who won and the ones who didn't and I salute Moroccan women."
M/S Winner performing ululation *UPSOUND*
W/S Audience
M/S Winner receiving prize
SCRIPT
A traditional Moroccan coffeehouse in the coastal city of Tangier hosted an ululation performance competition on Saturday in an attempt to preserve the ancient traditional practice.
"This is a truly unique initiative and we have discovered new vocalists that we didn't know. This woman who one the first prise, god bless her, she has the voice of a bird, a truly unique voice." said Ahmed Mernissi, one of the event organisers.
Footage shows women competing over the best ululation performance and the audience clapping and cheering for the winner.
"I was 90 percent sure that I would win because I am aware of my vocal abilities, I don't mean to be overconfident, but I have already performed before and this year I will start my first year at the conservatoire," Asmaa Asheri, the winner of the competition said.
Ululation is a high-pitched trilling howl practised either alone or as part of certain traditional styles of singing most commonly in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.
The practice is associated with celebration and it dates back to Ancient Egypt and Greece.