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Gnawa's hypnotic music has several
connotations throughout Africa:
Diwan (Djazair), Stambali (Tunisia),
Zar (Sudan). Why?
You can see a snapshot of this historical map
and its origin from Gnawa Stories.
The Kingdoms of Ghana (a
Soninke word for 'king')
and Mali were unimaginably
vast, and well-known.
Regional caravanserai roads cross them like old
weathered veins if you saw them aerially.
So dark-skinned were these
incoming, enslaved Africans that
their lands were called 'akal-ignawen'
and this community Gnawa, from the
Tamazight word 'ignawen'.
They were Fula ('Foulani Hiriza') Hausa,
Soninke, Toubou and more.
One recently discovered ancestral city
was a medieval capital of
the Soninke empire, Wagadu (Gnawa: Music
It's in southeastern Mauritania.
Gnawa roots reach as far as Lake Chad...
Here is an updated Google Map with Kumbi Saleh.
Maalem Abdellah El Gourd and Mustapha Bakbou
Did you know that many master musicians
play multiple styles and their
troupe may play other ones
altogether, like Gnawa de Bruxelles
Women are also integral and visible members
in lila ceremonies nowadays.
They join Gnawa troupes and even lead them!
Treq or song order is supernaturally relevant!
You should never cut songs for shorter length
or re-arrange them, so we are mindful
about this during this series.
Lila ritual order (Music
of the Gnawa of Morocco:
Evolving Spaces and Times, pg. 220)
Adepts or devotees enter an ecstatic hal or
jedba state through the lila's maalem,
and they are given cool floral water (Moroccan
Gnawa and Transglobal Trance).
Hard sahla and flexible tarrach sticks are
used for tbal, large goat-skin
headed drums from West Africa.
This central percussion piece's alternate
name is ganga (Yoruba 'gangan',
Gangan (left), ganga (right)
Both have high traditional significance.
Learn about the Ìlu Gángan (YouTube).
Krakeb or karkabou
(metal castanets),
ganga (talking drums), guembri
(three-stringed lute), and shashiya (cowrie shell caps)
This audial alchemy creates Gnawa's chaotic yet peaceful sound.
AGADIR
Aerial Agadir from the mountain
Tairelile (Yassine Enissay) is a
great Gnawa group here.
He has been our friend like Mohamed
Errebbaa for some years,
and we are humbled by their collective skills!
Group Tairelile (Yassine (center))
This is Agadir: vibrant, coastal, mountainous.
Then there is Samir LanGus from Agadir: extremely
well-versed in Gnawa's styles no matter which one.
And Ismkhan Moutanass perform fabulously:
a desert-based ethnic group who usually only play krakeb.
DIWAN
This Algerian style is actually a primary source for Gnawa today.
the Moroccan-Algerian border within the Sahara.
Many masters come from Algeria:
and her father to Maalem Benaissa, Benouda.
Maalem Benaissa Bahaz was an Algiers-born
virtuoso who played, made
and instructed on guembris in the diwan
expression (Algerie Press Service).
He led Diwan Dzair and paved the way
for Gaada Diwan Bechar, etc.
GHARBAOUI/SHAMALI
We touched upon Maalem El Gourd's prolific career
and Maalem Rida Stitou in Different Gnawa Styles.
They learned Gnawa from very young ages and
would absorb its teachings as a lifestyle.
Welcome to Tangier, the northern Moroccan tip.
Tangier musicians have an entrenched reputation as tagnawit holders.
MEKNASSI
Maalem el Meknassi is one musician we've highlighted!
This suite is for the dark forest spirits (Malin al-ghaba).
A new live video? You bet.
RABATI
ROUDANI
Mehdi Nassouli combined his beloved
Taroudant's lore and multi-
cultural influences for distinct Gnawa (Qwest.tv).
Daqqa Marrakchia, Amazigh and Andalusian genres, malhun
preceded apprenticeship over 10 years!
This lila with Maalem Kardoudi took place in 2012.
And Taroudant had its first Gnawa festival
last year, 2019. Mehdi Nassouli
and Gnawa Souss were among the honored guests.
SOUSSIA
GNAWA AND
DIASPORIC AFRICAN POWER GNAWA
LIVE STREAM I ()
GNAWA LIVE STREAM II
()
GNAWA LIVE STREAM III
()
GNAWA LIVE STREAM IV ()
GNAWA LIVE STREAM VI ()
GNAWA LIVE STREAM VII
()
GNAWA LIVE STREAM VIII
()
GNAWA INDEX
