The Jebala (Arabic: جبالة, romanized: Jbāla) are a tribal confederation inhabiting an area in northwest Morocco from the town of Ketama to the west.

In addition to the rainy climate, which influences the way the inhabitants build their houses as well as their special agricultural practices,[2] there are also numerous cultural characteristics that contribute to an emphasised sense of identity[3] and make the Jbala people clearly distinguishable from their neighbours from the eastern part of the Rif Mountains (Riafa or Rwafa) where the climate is more arid, and from the former shepherds from the Atlantic coast (‘Arab).

The early Islamic history of the Rif, through the Emirate of Nekor established by Salih ibn Mansur of the Nefzaoua Berbers and which lasted from pre-Idrisid until Almoravid times with the fall of the Madinat al-Nakur (710–1108 CE).

This term was introduced by Marçais[9] and Colin,[10] who argued that the first arabicization of Northern Africa took place long before the migration of the Bani Hilal tribe in the 12th-13th centuries.

The Jbala, together with several groups of population inhabiting the Algerian and Tunisian part of the Tell Atlas, were the first Imazighen (Berbers) who arabicised their language,[11] probably due to their proximity to the old route that once connected Fes (as well as Tlemcen and Constantine) with Mediterranean ports, especially with those located in al-Andalus.

At the national level, it became famous across Morocco largely thanks to the efforts of a talented poet, musician and singer of Jebli origin (Bni Zerwal بني زروال), Mohamed Laroussi, (محمد  لعروسي) (1933–2014), who received from his countrywide audiences the honorary titles of the fannān Jbāla’ (فنان  جبالة), or ‘the artist of the Jbala’, or ‘maḥbūb Jbāla’ (محبوب جبالة), or ‘beloved by all Jbala people’.

For decades his songs have been available for purchase not only in northern Morocco, where Laaroussi's name is widely known, but throughout the country, first on LPs, then tapes, and recently on CDs and in MP3 format.

Although pretty much everything produced in the Jbala region is referred to as ayta jabaliya, there are in fact three different genres: ʿayta jebliya’ (عيطة جبلية), ʿayyuʿ (عيوع) and ughniya’ (اغنية).

In other words, a Jebli poem is difficult to visualise on paper and can be compared to a rather distant tradition of Classical Arabic poetry that was once born n the Arabian Peninsula.

The Rif musicians, who belong to a socially and occupational inferior class calling themselves "Imdhyazen", generally come from one tribe, the "Ait Touzin".

Its proximity to the straits of Gibraltar gave this area an important role: the western part of the Rif is a transit route, leading to the Mediterranean world, in particular, to al-Andalus.

This has had a certain impact on its inhabitants: early arabisation, a high density of literate people, the cultural and economic influence of neighbouring cities, etc.

[12] In addition, these factors led to the emergence of technical innovations that are modest, yet surprising in the Maghreb context: sloping thatched-roofs (الدار د سقف), identical to those found in the south of Andalusia; the yoking of horned cattle, where the yoke is placed at the base of the skull, just behind the horns (برواسي) to which it is fixed, a system which is known only in some limited areas in Europe; the haystack (التمون) made without a cob bedding, instead held together by a set of cords fixed with stones; the granary raised on pillars (لهري), which exists in some other parts of the world, the closest place being in the Spanish Cantabrian Mountains; the hand flour mill with connecting rod-crank (رحي د ليد), where an alternating movement transforms into a rotary movement, according to the mechanical principle of the connecting rod-crank; the water mill with vertical shed  (رحي   د الما), the use of which is limited to a small area on the straits of Gibraltar, unlike the ramp mill which is in use in the rest of the country; the oil press with double lateral screws (معيصرة), mobile because of its small size; and the piston-type butter-churn (مخاط), with vertical movement instead of lateral.

But perhaps we should consider this entire region of northwest Morocco to be a privileged area in terms of confluences, since it combines a great diversity of natural factors with its proximity to the sea and presence on terrestrial routes.

The western and central parts of this area are considered as a “hot spot” of Mediterranean biodiversity: we can speak of a true refuge of agrodiversity,[20] where rare crops of cereals and legumes that are considered at a national level to be minor or marginal have been preserved, such as rye, or chentil (آشنتيل), small spelt or einkorn, chqalia (شقالية), and sorghum, or dra (درة), is the main spring cereal instead of the usual corn.

[22] Today, grape syrup, known as samit (صامت), is still produced locally; often it is lightly fermented and then contains alcohol, which causes controversy about the legitimacy of its use (in the context of Islamic beliefs).

Almost all zawiya-s have their season or ‘mawsem’ (موسم), or grand gatherings of faithful Muslims that happen on fixed dates during a particular time frame.

[25] Some saints, such as Moulay Bou Shta el-Khammar (مولاي بوشتا الخمار) and Sidi Allal el-Hajj (سيدي علال الحاج), seem to be more reputable than others.

The tradition of going on pilgrimage to the shrine of Moulay Abdessalam ben Mshish has played an exceptionally important role in Jebli society over many centuries.

Traditionally, the beginning of the pilgrimage season to Moulay Abdessalam is calculated based on the Islamic calendar and takes place around the 15th of Shaaban.

They flock to Mount Alam (جبلالعلم).The gathering of pilgrims, also known as lamma (لامة), is accompanied by the chanting of religious hymns and prayers, and then smoothly transforms into picnics and get-togethers of family and friends during which it is common to exchange short sung poems, or ayyu-s (عيوع).