Listeners already familiar with traditional Moroccan gnawa music will be aware of its trance-like properties. But as a woman, she still found some resistance to her desire to play gnawa music, although she was encouraged by her mother to follow her dreams. The fusion of contemporary rock and funk and ancient traditional Moroccan musical forms including gnawa and chaabi makes for an always diverting listen. the Moroccan-French quartet open up portals to what they describe as the origins of the music, gnawa trance, and Malian blues. Bab L’ Bluz itself translates as ‘gateway to the blues’.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 14, 2020 07:52 UTC