Hamid El Kasri (Morocco) is a singer and guimbri player from Ksar El Kebir, Morocco. He is also regarded as a maâlem (master musician) in the Gnawa tradition. Gnawa is a religious musical tradition with origins in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is practiced by the descendants of enslaved West Africans brought to the Maghreb.
El Kasri is Vice President of the Yerma Gnaoua Association as well as a long-time pillar of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. Over the years he has engaged in exciting collaborations with artists such as Joe Zawinul, Snarky Puppy, and Jacob Collier.
In 2025, Hamid El Kasri was one of the Aga Khan Music Awards 2025 finalists.
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.