The Kingdom Of Morocco

from TOA Magazine July – September 2021 Edition

Indocrop

THE KINGDOM OF

GNAOUA MUSIC CAN TAKE ANYONE TO A SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL TRANCE

Capital: Rabat • Population 35 million • Area 710,850 sq km (274,461 sq miles) (including W Sahara) • Major languages Arabic and Berber (official), French,

Spanish • Major religion Islam • Life expectancy 74 years (men), 77 years (women) • Currency Dirham

DATA: UN, World Bank • 7th and 8th Centuries AD - Arab invasion; Idris founds the first major

Muslim dynasty. • 10-17th Centuries - Dynasties and religious movements come and go, including the Almoravid movement which at its peak controlled Morocco and parts of present-day Algeria and Spain. • 1904 - France and Spain carve out zones of influence. • 1912 - Morocco becomes a French protectorate under the Treaty of Fez. • 1956 - End of French protectorate

after unrest and strong nationalist sentiment. Spain keeps its two coastal enclaves. Sultan Mohammed became king in 1957. • 1961 - Death of King Mohammed;

King Hassan II comes to power. • 1975-76 - Morocco annexes Western

Sahara, but faces an ongoing guerrilla battle for independence. • 1998 - Morocco’s first opposition-led government comes to power. • 1999 - King Hassan II is succeeded by his son, Mohammed VI.

Gnaoua music can take anyone to a spiritual and cultural trance. Since 2019, Gnawa music has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and portrays the story of Sub-Saharan African slaves. This ritual song of traditional music and dance just let you move along with its rhythm. The artists wearing colorful costumes sing to the beat of “Lguembri” and “Qraqeb,” two instruments of Gnaoua’s music. No wonder famous performers like Led Zeppelin, Pat Metheny, Didier Lockwood or Marcus Miller only came to Morocco to play with the greatest musicians.

Traditionally performed across Morocco, the Gnaoua music is a spiritual music originating in the sub-Saharan

Image: © nationsonline.org

region, although popular maâlems (master musicians) make the music very popular. The beats are repetitive and vibrant, led by a maâlem with a group of musicians and dancers.

Music is traditionally a part of a major ceremony named Lila (Arabic for ‘night’), termed the supernatural powers, in particular to eliminate a member possessed by a djinn (genie). The entire night ceremony begins after the sacrifice of an animal, to ensure that the Spirits are there and then the maâlem and the clairvoyante lead the musician’s troops to play krakebs and burn incense to call on supernatural powers to take the followers in hand. Those involved in the purple enter a trance, which enables them to address their relationship with the local mystical powers known as the mluk, allowing supporters to return to normal state.

Seven is a typical number of lilas with the mystical power of seven various colours. In the lilac, the mluk is awakened by seven distinct incense, seven various dress colors, equal rhythms.

Krakebes (sometimes called castanets) and a gimbri are crucial to the Gnaoua sound (a three-stringed guitar carved from a log with the back side covered in camel skin). The maâlem (master musician) repeats each line or phrase repeated numerous times; the sound of the instruments intensifies as the dancers move in the distinctive rhythms and often enter the trance-like condition, clad in beautiful cowry shells and caps. Today the music is considerably more popular with evening concerts in Marrakech on the Jemaa el Fna square and the melodies in Essaouira’s medina. Gnaoua Music Festival performs on the main stage in the coastal town every year. It typically blends with world jazz and world music and music sensations including Randy Weston, Omar Sosa and Tony Allen, and frequently throughout the small hours of the night.