GENRE · KNOWLEDGE GUIDE
Gnawa
- Genre family
- Middle Eastern / North African Popular Music
- Starting recordings
- 40
ORIGIN · SOUND · PEOPLE
Meet Gnawa
Gnawa is a branch of the Middle Eastern / North African Popular Music family, with its own performance and recording traditions.
The clearest way to understand Gnawa is to hear how its rhythm, timbre and performance language change across artists and recordings.
Begin with Hamid El Kasri, محمود ﯕينيا and James Holden.
GENRE FAMILY
Its place in the genre family
Parent genreMiddle Eastern / North African Popular Music
Current genreGnawa
REFINE THIS VIEWFilter within Gnawa
Era, region and genre remain as an intersection. Options with no matching recordings are hidden.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
10 recordingsStart with these recordings
01Sandiya2001 · Gnawa · gnawaOpen in new tab 02Aît Oumrar2001 · Gnawa · jazz fusionOpen in new tab 03I Miss You2011 · Gnawa · electronicOpen in new tab 04Mimoun Marhaba2025 · GnawaOpen in new tab 05Marhaba2015 · GnawaOpen in new tab 06Allah Allah Ya El Bouhali2007 · GnawaOpen in new tab 07Bouhala GnawaGnawaOpen in new tab 08Bania2015 · GnawaOpen in new tab 09Moulay Ibrahim2007 · GnawaOpen in new tab 10Shamharouch2007 · GnawaOpen in new tab
KEY ARTISTS
Key artists
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS
Continue with these albums
LOCAL GRAPH
View relationship graphExplore the relationship graph
KEEP EXPLORING