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Music

Gnawa

كناوةEssaouira & Marrakech · Morocco

Moroccan brotherhood music and all-night Lila therapeutic ceremony led by a Maâlem on the three-stringed guembri lute and iron qraqeb.

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The tradition & historical record

1 min read · 10 cited sources

Rooted in West African and Sufi spiritual lineages across Morocco, Gnawa is both a repertoire of polyrhythmic songs and a nocturnal Lila ceremony invoking the seven colour-coded suites of the mluk. [1]

The Maâlem plucks the camel-skin guembri (sintir) while koyo chorus members clash heavy iron qraqeb castanets and execute acrobatic kouyou dances. [2]

Transmission & Custody

Documented custodians and practitioner lineages: Maâlem Brotherhoods of Essaouira & Marrakech.

Sources on Record
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Active Practitioner Census
Current guild- or locality-level count of active masters and apprentices awaits a cited survey.
Field Audio & Notation
CC-licensed performance audio or rhythmic notation is not yet linked to this record.
Vernacular Bibliography
Regional-language monographs and local academy catalogues remain open for citation.

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