Gnawa Music (Morocco)

Morocco's traditional Gnawa music cleanses the soul and reinvigorates listeners' view of the world.

Jazz maestros Randy Weston and Pharoah Sanders have recorded with Gnawa musicians.
Songwriter-composer Gustavo Santaolalla visited Morocco to research Gnawa music for his Oscar-winning score for Babel.

The roots of Gnawa music from North Africa and American blues both stem from the brutal history of slavery. Originated by Gnawa Brotherhoods in Morocco, Algería, and influenced by Islamic regions around the Sahara, Gnawa music encompasses the spiritual and is also a vibrant celebration of life.

Hassan - the son of late Gnawa master Hmida Boussou from Casablanca - has not only been keeping Gnawa tradition alive but moving it forward with his band of Moroccan musicians. By combining the sounds of t'bel, clapping, guembri and gospel together with dance, they offer a spell-binding performance.