Matinée Marocaine

Surrender yourself for an afternoon to the vibrant sounds of gnawa (gnaoua), mysterious Sufi music from Morocco. The versatile programme opens with theatre-maker Ghassan El Hakim’s piece about his ambivalent connection to gnawa. Gnawa maestro Abdellah El Gourd accompanies him. His music, known for its healing properties, has never been commercially recorded. A unique live experience in a festive atmosphere. Farid Ghannam is one of the guest musicians of the Gnaoua Again! ensemble. He is a singer with perhaps the most beautiful singing voice in this genre. 

Besides being a singer, Farid Ghannam is also a gifted player of the guembri, a lute-like string and percussion instrument that produces both melody and bass tones. Gnawa music was a sound Ghassan El Hakim tried to steer clear of. He couldn’t forget seeing his mother faint when she heard this music. Encouraged by theatre-maker Adelheid Roosen, he faced his fears and met Maalem (master) Abdellah El Gourd. This maestro confirmed the suspicion that many are still in denial about: the source of gnawa lies in Morocco’s history of slavery.

This programme is part of the Afrovibes Festival 2024 featuring theatre and dance from Africa (3 to 13 October on various stages in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht). See: www.afrovibes.nl