(A pair of karkabas, fair trade. Gnawa metal castanets.) The karkabas, a musical instrument intricately tied to Gnawa music, a traditional genre originating from Morocco.…
Karkabas: the Trance-Inducing Metal Castanets
Tag: Gnawa music
Guimbri: The Formidable Gnawa Bass Lute of North Africa
(headline image: Hssan Hakmoun in Lanzarote, Spain, in 2000 playing guimbri – Photo by Angel Romero) The guimbri is a traditional musical instrument intrinsically linked…
Bab L’ Bluz’s Swaken Adds More Fire Into the Mix
Bab L’ Bluz – Swaken (Real World Records, 2024) Bab L’ Bluz, the French-Moroccan power quartet, has unveiled their latest album, Swaken. The new project…
Moroccan-French Sensation AYWA’s Latest Album Strikes a Chord of Unity and Diversity
AYWA – Saadi (Jules Sonic Prods, 2023) On AYWA’s latest album, Saadi the Moroccan-French band skillfully crafts an immersive experience with their deeply satisfying and…
Hind Ennaira: A Rising Star in Gnawa Music
Born in 1997 in Essawira, Morocco, Hind Ennaira has emerged as a new icon in the Gnawa music scene. Despite lacking Gnawa roots in her…
Artist Profiles: Bnat el Houariyat
Bnat el Houariyat (“the girls of Houara”) is a multigenerational ensemble that follows Moroccan laâbat tradition. These are women’s percussion groups that perform stinging, often…
Al-Qasar Hits #1 at the Transglobal World Music Chart in October 2022
Who Are We? by Moroccan/Arabic fusion ensemble Al-Qasar is the number one album at the Transglobal World Music Chart in October 2022. October 2022 Chart…
The Entrancing Grooves of Maalem Moktar Gania
Moktar Gania & Gnawa Soul – Gnawa Soul (MusjoMusic/Nuits d’Afrique, 2022) “Gnawa Soul” brings together the spellbinding Moroccan rhythms of the Gnawa, West African influences…
An Interview with Hassan Hakmoun
This interview with Hassan Hakmoun was conducted by Bouna Ndiaye of WNCU-FM, 90.7 FM in Raleigh, North Carolina: WNCU: Hassan Hakmoun, you arrived in the…
Intensely Percussive Futuristic Gnawa Sounds
Electric Jalaba – El Hal – The Feeling (Strut Records, 2021) Electric Jalaba is a fantastic group based in the UK that intertwines transfixing Gnawa…