Nass Marrakesh (Arabic : ناس مراكش) is a Gnawa music group formed in 1991. They have evolved in directions unknown before for Gnawa musicians with the introduction of instruments foreign to Gnawa music such as the djembe, tam-tam, mandolin, tabla and Afro-Cuban percussion. [1]
The Gnawa are an ethnic group inhabiting Morocco and Algeria in the Maghreb.
A djembe or jembe is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe comes from the saying "Anke djé, anke bé" which translates to "everyone gather together in peace" and defines the drum's purpose. In the Bambara language, "djé" is the verb for "gather" and "bé" translates as "peace."
A mandolin is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is usually plucked with a plectrum or "pick". It commonly has four courses of doubled metal strings tuned in unison, although five and six course versions also exist. The courses are normally tuned in a succession of perfect fifths. It is the soprano member of a family that includes the mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello and mandobass.
The oud is a short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped stringed instrument with 11 or 13 strings grouped in 5 or 6 courses, commonly used predominantly in Western Asia and North Africa: in Egypt, Syria, Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Kurdistan, Yemen, Arabia, Iran, Greece, Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and other ethnic music like Jewish music, North African Chaabi, Classical, and Spanish Andalusian.
Krakebs (qraqeb), or garagab are a large iron castanet-like musical instrument primarily used as the rhythmic aspect of Gnawa music. Gnawa today is part of the North African culture and is inherent in the Maghrebi soundscape.
The sintir, also known as the Guembri (الكمبري), Gimbri or Hejhouj, is a three stringed skin-covered bass plucked lute used by the Gnawa people. It is approximately the size of a guitar, with a body carved from a log and covered on the playing side with camel skin. The camel skin has the same acoustic function as the membrane on a banjo. The neck is a simple stick with one short and two long goat strings that produce a percussive sound similar to a pizzicato cello or double bass.
The Rough Guide to the Music of Morocco is a world music compilation album originally released in 2004. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release covers the music of Morocco, which had been receiving new-found attention on the world music circuit in the early 2000s. The compilation was curated by Andy Morgan, former manager of Tinariwen and organizer of the Festival in the Desert. Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network, was the producer. This album was followed by a second edition, which covered the same topic by showcasing different artists.
World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music.
Rusted Root is an American worldbeat rock band formed in 1990 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by singer-guitarist Michael Glabicki, bassist Patrick Norman and percussionist Liz Berlin. The band got its start as the house band playing a weekly gig in Jack's Back Room on Pittsburgh's South Side. The band achieved fame in 1994 with its platinum-selling album When I Woke, which included the hit single "Send Me on My Way". The song has been featured prominently in many films and commercials. Rusted Root has sold more than three million albums.
Mahmoud Guinia was a Moroccan Gnawa musician, singer and guembri player, who was traditionally regarded as a Maâllem, i.e. master.
Nass El Ghiwane are a musical group established in 1971 in Casablanca, Morocco. The group, which originated in avant-garde political theater, has played an influential role in Moroccan chaabi. Nass El Ghiwane were the first band to introduce Western instruments like the modern banjo. Their music incorporates a trance aesthetic, reflecting the influence of local Gnawa music. Their music is inspired by ancient North African Sufi poetry, most prominently that of Abderrahman El Majdoub, whose work was a direct inspiration to the band. They are also credited for helping bring a new social movement to Morocco.
Gnawa music is a rich Moroccan repertoire of ancient African Islamic spiritual religious songs and rhythms. Its well-preserved heritage combines ritual poetry with traditional music and dancing. The music is performed at lila, entire communal nights of celebration dedicated to prayer and healing guided by the Gnawa maalem, or master musician, and their group of musicians and dancers. Though many of the influences that formed this music can be traced to sub-Saharan West-Africa, its traditional practice is concentrated in Morocco . Nowadays, Gnawa music has spread through many other countries in Africa and Europe, such as France.
Bluebird is an Emmylou Harris album from 1989, which merged a number of eclectic songs with polished, country music production. It included her most recent top-ten country-charting single, "Heartbreak Hill". The album enjoyed renewed interest in 2004 when The Sopranos introduced its fifth season with "Heaven Only Knows."
Roses in the Snow is the seventh album by country music artist Emmylou Harris, released in 1980. While Harris' previous release, 1979's Blue Kentucky Girl, featured traditional, straight-ahead country, Roses in the Snow found Harris performing Bluegrass-inspired music, with material by Flatt and Scruggs, Paul Simon, The Carter Family, and Johnny Cash. Cash, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, The Whites, Ricky Skaggs, Willie Nelson and Tony Rice made guest appearances. "Wayfaring Stranger" was released as the first single in 1980 and went to #7 on the Billboard Country charts. The second single, a remake of a Simon & Garfunkel song, "The Boxer" reached #13. Backing musicians included Albert Lee and Jerry Douglas.
Gnawa Diffusion is an Algerian Gnawa music band based in Grenoble, France. The group's lead singer, Amazigh, is the son of the Algerian writer and poet Kateb Yacine. Although there is a strong Gnawa influence, the band is noted for its mix of reggae and roots music. Gnawa Diffusion is very popular in Algeria and is also well known in many other countries including Morocco, Tunisia and France. The band's lyrics are in Algerian Arabic, Tamazight, French and English. Gnawa Diffusion started their career in 1993 with the release of the album Légitime différence.
Jil Jilala is a Moroccan musical group which rose to prominence in the 1970s among the movement created by Nass El Ghiwane and Lem Chaheb. Jil Jilala was founded in Marrakech in 1972 by performing arts students Mohamed Derhem, Moulay Tahar Asbahani, Sakina Safadi, Mahmoud Essaadi, Hamid Zoughi and Moulay Abdelaziz Tahiri. In 1974, they released their first record Lyam Tnadi on the Atlassiphone label. The songs "Leklam Lemrassaa," "Baba Maktoubi," "Ha L'ar a Bouya," "ah ya Jilala" and "Chamaa" quickly achieved the status of popular 'classics.'
The Gnaoua World Music Festival is a Gnawa music festival held annually in Essaouira, Morocco.
Moroccans, ancient names Spanish: Moros and English: Moors and Moorish People are a Maghrebi ethnic group inhabiting or originating from Morocco that share a common Moroccan culture and Maghrebi ancestry. The overwhelming majority of Moroccans are of Arab-Berber descent; however, many identify as Arabs or Arabized Berbers.
Marrakesh or Marrakech is a city in Morocco, North-Western Africa.
Hoba Hoba Spirit is a musical fusion band based in Casablanca, Morocco that was formed in 1998. It is composed of Adil Hanine (drummer), Anouar Zehouani (guitarist), Saâd Bouidi, Reda Allali - and Othmane Hmimar(percussionist). The name of the group is based on a song by Bob Marley.
Sense of Occasion is the 24th studio album by British folk-rock veterans Fairport Convention, released in February 2007.
Hassan Hakmoun is a New York City-based Moroccan musician. He specializes in the Gnawa style. He is currently married to Chikako Iwahori.
Safe Upon the Shore is the ninth and final studio album released by Canadian folk rock band Great Big Sea. The album was released on July 13, 2010.
Moroccan pop or abbreviated as Mor-pop is a genre of the new Moroccan music generation along the hip hop, rap music in Morocco.
All Fired Up is the nineteenth studio album by American band Poco. It was released in March 2013 under Drifter's Church Productions.
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web and other information on the Internet. It was launched in 2001 by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, United States.
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