Gnawa music is a mixture of sub-Saharan African, Berber, and Sufi religious songs and rhythms. It combines music and acrobatic dancing. It is at once rite and music. a film by Rahma Benhamou El Madani France - Algeria -Morocco, 1h20 min & 52 min Tagnawittude (80 min) Ould el Hal (52 min) I encountered the power of Gnawa very early when I was a little girl, frequently seeing my mother practice the trance. Slowly entering this intense attitude, she went beyond the boundaries of the outside world. I saw this practice rather often in Morocco in different settings, and I have always been struck by this slippage into a world that eluded me, as I became oblivious of the rationality of the western world in which I lived. The Gnawa music has become a current trend. Numerous musicians of diverse backgrounds combine this music with western and modern instruments. Gnawa concerts are always full. Presently there is a real passion for this music in Morocco. The trance is more subdued but it is present. The public comes in search of this escape, this possibility to visit a world of mystery. Rahma Benhamou El Madani (English Translation by Beti Ellerson, PhD)

Summary for official catalogues