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VOL.2 — Moroccan Trance Music
Time: 4:00 PM
Venue: Beef Up Noodle, 352 3rd Ave, New York
Gnawa music is a rich and spiritually rooted musical tradition originating from Morocco, with deep historical ties to West African culture. It is known for its hypnotic rhythms, ritualistic function, and trance-inducing qualities, combining elements of Sub-Saharan African, Berber, and Arab musical and spiritual practices.
The term "Gnawa" refers both to the people and the musical-spiritual tradition they uphold. Linguistically, it is believed to derive from an old Berber term for “black person,” originally designating Sub-Saharan Africans brought to North Africa through the trans-Saharan slave trade. Over time, the name came to signify a unique Sufi brotherhood and cultural identity rooted in healing, music, and ancestral memory.
Gnawa music developed among descendants of West African slaves—primarily from areas that are now Mali, Senegal, and Guinea—who were brought to Morocco between the 16th and 17th centuries. Over generations, their animist and Islamic Sufi traditions merged with North African culture, creating a unique spiritual and musical heritage. The Gnawa people, originally from these enslaved communities, became spiritual healers, musicians, and cultural preservers whose practices now form a vital part of Morocco’s cultural identity.
Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Gnawa remains a powerful symbol of resilience, spirituality, and cultural memory. It is not only music—it is living ritual and communal identity.
Instruments
The guembri, also known as gimbri, sintir, or hajhouj, is a three-stringed bass lute central to Gnawa music. Carved from wood and covered with camel or goatskin, it produces a deep, buzzing sound that blends rhythm and melody. Played by the maalem (master musician), the guembri anchors trance ceremonies (lila), calling spirits through repetitive, hypnotic grooves. Often seen as the soul of Gnawa music, the guembri is both instrument and spiritual conduit—resonating with cultural memory, healing, and rhythm across generations and borders.
The qraqeb, also spelled krakebs or qraqaba, are large iron castanets essential to Gnawa music. Played in both hands, they produce a loud, clanging rhythm that drives trance ceremonies and evokes the sound of chains—symbolizing the enslaved West African origins of the Gnawa people. Qraqeb provide the percussive backbone of Gnawa ensembles, often in polyrhythmic dialogue with the guembri and vocals. In spiritual lila rituals, their relentless pulse helps induce trance and summon ancestral spirits.
Imal Gnawa
Meaning “Future Gnawa”, Imal Gnawa is a Brooklyn-based musical collective led by Atlas Phoenix, a multi-talented Amazigh (Berber) poet, linguist, and Gnawa musician. Their debut EP Twilight Prophecy (2025) features hypnotic tracks like “Belyalji” and “Molana,” blending the earthy pulse of the guembri with shimmering qraqeb and futuristic elements.
Phoenix, also an adjunct professor of Arabic and a translator, sees Gnawa as “ancient psychiatry,” using rhythm and trance to heal. In live shows at venues like Barbès, Nublu, and Moondog HiFi, Imal Gnawa performs immersive rituals that pay homage to Gnawa spirits—each associated with a color and history—while embracing sonic experimentation. The band’s reinterpretations, such as the song “Mimouna,” highlight intercommunal heritage, including Jewish and Muslim spiritual figures.
Imal Gnawa's performances connect ancestral roots to present-day expression. Through Phoenix’s visionary leadership, the group not only preserves Gnawa’s sacred essence but also reinvents it for a global audience, making the old vibrate anew.
Band Members
Atlas Phoenix
Moe Elgad
Mehdi Alaoui
Mustapha Imchtka .photos:& { margin-bottom: 20px; }
Event Crew
Curator: Mu Qian
Producer: Shi Qianyi
Poster Designer: Liu Haolun
Sound Engineer: Kaiwei
Photographer: Xu Boyi
On-site staff: Bocai
Merch Designer: Liu Keling, Shi Qianyi