Immersive trance music played by brave women. Usually, playing Moroccan Gnawa music is reserved for men only. However, Aasmâa Hamzaoui learned at a young age from her father Rachid Hamzaoui to play the guembri, a three-string bass lute. And from the age of six he took her to his concerts. On her debut album Oulad Lghaba, Aasmâa plays a modern, non-religious form of Gnawa with an electric guembri.
Her playing and lead vocals are supplemented by her four-woman band Bnat Timbouktou with choirs and rhythmic playing on the qraqab or iron castanets. Gnawa music has traditionally been played by descendants of West African slaves brought to Morocco. The mystical Sufi order played hypnotic, healing music during ceremonies to put you in a trance.more
