Moroccan Gnawa Music Master Hassan Hakmoun, recipient of this year’s American Federation of Independent Music (AFIM) Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album for The Gift
(Triloka Records) will embark on a tour of Canada beginning July 18 at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto.
Whether onstage, or visiting with friends in a small apartment, as Hakmoun sings and plays himself into a trance, people around him seem not too far from a trance-like state themselves. The pentatonic scale and driving rhythm of the Sintir are instantly appealing and familiar to Western audiences. The music of the Gnawa, like much American popular music, is built from elements borrowed from West Africa. Clawhammer banjo enthusiasts will also find commonality in the percussive style of plucking the Sintir.
Tour dates:
Hassan Hakmoun On Tour.
7/18/2003 Toronto ON Harbourfront Centre (416) 973-4000
7/19/2003 Ottawa ON Ottawa International Jazz Fest
7/20/2003 Montreal QC Nuits d’Afrique (514) 499-9239
8/15/2003 Vancouver BC Wise Hall (604) 734-7907
8/16/2003 Salmon Arm BC Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival (250) 833-4096
8/17/2003 Salmon Arm BC Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival (250) 833-4096
For more information about the roots of Hassan’s music, read Gnawa Music .
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
