Gnawa are the descendents of slaves originating from Black Africa who established brotherhoods throughout Morocco. They are made up of master musicians (maâlem), metal castanet players, clairvoyants, mediums and their followers.
They are at the same time musicians, initiators and healers, blending African and Arabo-Berber customs. Despite being Muslims, the Gnawa base their ritual on djinn (spirits) straight from the the African cult of possession.
The most spectacular and important ceremony is the Lila, whose function is essentially therapeutic.
During the celebration the maâlem and his group call on the saints and supernaturel entities to take possession of their followers who fall into trance.
Their instruments :
- 3 stringed percussive lute (guembri)
- Large metal castanets (qraqeb)
- Drums (ganga)
Their ritual can be compared to Haïtian voodoo and Brazilian macumba.
The music of the brotherhood - of which only the profane part is played on stage to the public during the festival - has sparked a wave of emulators on the international scene.
GLOSSARY Gnawa : plural of Gnawi. A generic term which includes all members of the brotherhood including the master musicians, castanet players, clairvoyant healers and the followers of the cult.
Maâlem : master of the ceremony
Moqadma : priestess
Tallaâtes, chouwafates or arifates : clairvoyant healers
Mlouk : supernatural entities
Guembri or Hajhouj : percussive 3-stringed lute
Aouicha : small guembri
Qarqabats or Qraqech : metal castanets
Tbel : drums
Ftouh errahba : beginning of the mlouk repertory of songs
Derdeba ou Lila : Ritual of possession
Hal ou jedba : transe
Koyo : Pre-Islamic musical repertory
the Gnaoua - Festival Essaouira 
the Gnaoua 
Linear Mode
