Atlas Mountains of Morocco
Moroccan

Wood, nylon strings, animal hide
ca. Mid 20th century
Chordophone – Half-Spike Lute – Plucked

This Moroccan example is an Amazigh gembri known as a lotar.   It is another gunbri-like lute from the Rwais tribe in the high Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It has three nylon strings, and three large tuning pegs. The neck is turned on a lathe and is painted with rings in bright colors of red, yellow, green, and black. The resonator body is made from a piece of wood. The lotar is usually played by a duo, which also includes a rebab (one-string spike fiddle).

The lotar is related to the gembri (also spelled guembri or gimbri) or sintir (see examples in this collection), a North African stringed instrument used by the Gnawa people in Morocco and Algeria.  The gembri is related to West African instruments like the akonting, the xalam, and the ngnoni (as well as the banjo).