Gnawa music from Morocco
Gnawa Berlin: Trance. Rhythm. Berlin.
Gnawa Berlin plays the ancestral trance music of Morocco: the low pulse of the guembri, the iron shimmer of the qraqeb, voices answering one another as they have for centuries.
Next event
Nordafrikanischer Kulturtag
Forschungscampus Dahlem, Lansstrasse 8, 14195 Berlin
An afternoon of North African culture at the Forschungscampus Dahlem. Gnawa Berlin play the ancestral Gnawa repertoire of Morocco live: guembri, qraqeb and call-and-response, the music of the maâlems carried from Moroccan courtyards into this city. Free entry, seats limited.
From the floor
Full gallery
Questions, answered
What is Gnawa music?
Gnawa is the ritual trance music of Morocco, brought north by West Africans through the trans-Saharan trade and shaped over centuries by Islam and Sufi practice. It is built on the three-stringed guembri, iron qraqeb castanets and call-and-response singing. UNESCO inscribed it as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019.
Where can I hear Gnawa music live in Berlin?
Gnawa Berlin plays concerts, festivals and street processions across the city. Every upcoming date, with venue and tickets, is listed on the events page, and the mailing list announces new dates first.
Can I book Gnawa Berlin for a concert, festival or private event?
Yes. Gnawa Berlin plays as a quartet or a full ensemble, indoors or in the street, for concerts, festivals, workshops and collaborations. Send a request through the booking form or write to gnawaberlin@gmail.com.
Do I need experience to join a Gnawa workshop?
No. The open workshops are for anyone who wants to pick up a pair of qraqeb and learn a pattern. No experience is needed and you do not need your own instrument.
What instruments are used in Gnawa music?
Three sounds carry almost everything: the guembri, a three-stringed bass lute with a camel-skin face played by the maâlem (master musician); the qraqeb, heavy iron castanets played in pairs; and the tbel, a double-headed drum used above all in street processions.
What is a lila?
A lila is the night-long Gnawa ceremony of healing, running from dusk until dawn and led by a maâlem. Its suites are played in a fixed order, each addressed to a spiritual entity and its colour. Gnawa Berlin performs concerts rather than ceremonies, but keeps that order.