(headline image: Hssan Hakmoun in Lanzarote, Spain, in 2000 playing guimbri – Photo by Angel Romero)The guimbri is a traditional musical instrument intrinsically linked to Gnawa music, a genre noted for its rhythmic repetitiveness and the dialogic interaction between the lead vocalist and other musicians. This three-stringed bass plucked lute, sheathed in camel skin, features a rectangular body hollowed from a single piece of wood. The instrument is renowned for its low harmonic range, often drawing comparisons to the bass guitar in Western musical contexts. Guimbri variations include the awisha, a smaller version of the musical instrument; and the double necked guimbri. The guimbri is used by musicians who play traditional music as well innovative artists who fuse roots music with rock, jazz and other genres.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 28, 2024 11:49 UTC