Gnawa

TheGnawa(/ɡ(ə)ˈnɑːwə/) (orGnaoua,Ghanawa,Ghanawi,Gnawi';Arabic:ڭناوة) are an ethnic group inhabitingMorocco,that had been brought as slaves from the West AfricanSahel.

The name Gnawa probably originated in the indigenous language of North Africa and theSahara Desert.The phonology of this term according to the grammatical principles ofBerberisagnaw(singular) andignawen(plural), which means "black person."

Gnawa musicwas inscribed in 2019 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.^[1]

History

The Gnawa population is generally believed to originate from theSahelianregion of West Africa, which had long and extensive trading and political ties withMorocco.^[2]^[3]The Gnawa are an ethnic group who were brought to Morocco as slaves, and their ancestry is traced to parts of West Africa. After the abolition of slavery, they became a part of theSufiorder in theMaghreb.^[4]While adopting Islam, the Gnawa continued to celebrate ritual possession during rituals which were devoted to the practice of dances ofpossessionand fright. This rite of possession is calledJedba(Arabic:جدبة).

Gnawa and music

Gnawa music mixes classical IslamicSufismwith pre-Islamic African folk traditions. The termGnawa musiciansgenerally refers to people who also practicehealingrituals. The healing rituals have apparent ties to pre-Islamic Africananimismrites known asBoriin the Hausa culture. In Moroccan popular culture, Gnawas, through their ceremonies, are considered to be experts in the magical treatment ofscorpionstings andmental illness.They heal diseases by the use of colors, condensed cultural imagery, perfumes and fright.

Gnawas play deeplyhypnotic trancemusic marked by low-toned, rhythmic melodies played on a skin-covered lute called asintirorguembri.The method, similar togarayain Hausa traditional music, involvescall-and-responsesinging, hand-clapping, andcymbalscalledkrakeb(plural ofkarkaba). Gnawa ceremonies use music and dance to evoke ancestral saints who are said to perform the healing.

Gnawa music has won an international profile and appeal. ManyWesternmusicians, includingBill Laswell,Brian Jones,Randy Weston,Adam Rudolph,Klaus Doldinger,Tucker Martine,Robert Plant,Jacob CollierandJimmy Page,have drawn on and collaborated with Gnawa musicians such as brothersMahmoud GuiniaandMokhtar Ganiaof Essaouira, brothersMustapha Baqbou&Ahmed Baqbou,Abdelkebir Merchane,Brahim Belkani,all from Marrakesh, as well asHamid El KasriandAbdelkader Amlilof Rabat and the lateAhmida BoussouandSaïd Oughassalof Casablanca, who have all participated at the annual festival inEssaouira.Some traditionalists regard modern collaborations as a mixed blessing, leaving or modifying sacred traditions for more explicitly commercial goals. International recording artists such asHassan Hakmounhave introduced Gnawa music and dance to Western audiences through their recordings and concert performances.

The centres for Gnawa music areMarrakesh,Tangier,Rabat,Casablanca,FezandEssaouira,which is in the southwest of Morocco where theGnaoua World Music Festivalis held annually. The Gnawa ofMarrakeshhold their annual festival at the sanctuary ofMoulay Brahimin theAtlas Mountainsand around the sanctuary ofMoulay Abdullah bin Tsainin the village ofTamesloht,betweenMarrakeshand the town ofAmizmiz.The festivals take place in connection with the birthday of theProphet.

The Gnawa ofKhamliahold their annual festival in August at the village of Khamlia in Erg Chebbi.^[5]

Finally there is also a special tribe inside Gnawa called Ganga. The Ganga are of subsaharan African origin and typically speakTashelhait,and are found in Haha between Essaouira and Agadir and in the Sous Valley around towns like Agadir and Taroudant. They do not play theguimbribut only focus on the dance known askouyou,playingkrakeband the large drums calledtebelorganga,which is also part of the procession of the regular gnawa ceremony.

Gnaouas fromOranwith theirguembri.
Gnaoua in a North African Interior
Gnawa from Algiers with his guembri (circa 1906) by Jean Geiser (1848-1923).
Gnawas circa 1920s
Music Teacher
Gnawa singer inSalé,Morocco.
Gnawa Musicians, byHarry Humphrey Moore.
A group of Gnawas dance to a song.

References

^"UNESCO - Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 14.COM 10.B.26".ich.unesco.org.Retrieved2020-05-29.
^Amraoui, Ahmed El."Gnawa music: From slavery to prominence".aljazeera.Retrieved2020-05-29.
^Sinclair, Mandy."A Brief History Of Gnaoua Music In Morocco".Culture Trip.Retrieved2020-04-22.
^"Yobadi, friendship through Music".ArcGIS StoryMaps.Retrieved2020-05-29.
^"Les Gnaouas - Histoire et Culture | Holidway Maroc".Holidway(in French). 2017-02-28. Archived fromthe originalon 2023-05-14.Retrieved2020-04-22.

General references

External links

[1] "UNESCO - Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 14.COM 10.B.26".ich.unesco.org.Retrieved2020-05-29.

[2] Amraoui, Ahmed El."Gnawa music: From slavery to prominence".aljazeera.Retrieved2020-05-29.

[3] Sinclair, Mandy."A Brief History Of Gnaoua Music In Morocco".Culture Trip.Retrieved2020-04-22.

[4] "Yobadi, friendship through Music".ArcGIS StoryMaps.Retrieved2020-05-29.

[5] "Les Gnaouas - Histoire et Culture | Holidway Maroc".Holidway(in French). 2017-02-28. Archived fromthe originalon 2023-05-14.Retrieved2020-04-22.

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