With colour and drums, Morocco's Gnawa artists celebrate Unesco designation


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In a riot of colour, acrobatics and drumbeats, Morocco's Gnawa artists joyously celebrated the inclusion of their ancient art-form in Unesco's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Troupes of artists in traditional costumes paraded through the white-and-blue town of Essaouira in western Morocco at the weekend, the sound of their lute strings and steel castanets filling the streets.

"Our goal is to bring this music to the world," said Mokhtar Gania, 56, one of the great Gnawa masters, with a broad grin.

Gnawa culture is a centuries-old Moroccan practice rooted in African rituals, Sufi traditions and music played with the guenbri, a type of lute with three strings, and steel castanets called krakebs.

The tradition, which includes the veneration of Islamic holy men, dates back to at least the 16th century and combines ancestral African practices with Arab-Muslim and Berber influences.

Mokhtar Gania's father, like his grandfather, was an emblematic figure of Gnawa ritual music, which traces its roots to the descendants of former slaves from sub-Saharan Africa.

Gnawa was once a set of esoteric rituals of rhythm and trance practised by brotherhoods and reserved for initiates, but it has since spread throughout the world.

The genre was popularised by a festival that started in 1997 in Essaouira, a small fortified city clinging to a rocky peninsula on the Atlantic coast that is also known as the "City of the Trade Winds".

Now the picturesque port town attracts waves of fans each year from across the globe to the Gnawa and World Music Festival.

The festival attracts jazz greats such as Pat Metheny, Didier Lockwood and Marcus Miller who perform with the most famous Gnawa masters.

Before the festivals, "this culture, recognised by major names on the world music scene, did not have the place it deserved in the Moroccan popular imagination," said Neila Tazi, producer of the event.

For Andre Azoulay, an adviser to King Mohammed and president of a local cultural association, the Unesco listing is "a recognition of Essaouira's pioneering commitment" to a community that was long marginalised.

Malaam Seddik El Arch, 68, is a privileged witness of this evolution.

Today, "musicians of all nationalities come here to learn guenbri," he said in the old city of Essaouira, itself a Unesco World Heritage Site.

"Despite the language barrier, we manage to get along and play together," he said. "Music is a universal language."

Mokhtar Gania, who has shared the stage with legendary rock guitarist Carlos Santana, is preparing to release an album and go touring with his group of Moroccan and West African musicians.

There is also a new generation, ready to take over – among them Abdeslam Benaddi, 25, who together with other local young musicians has created the group Oussoul Gnaoua, meaning "the origins of Gnawa".

Together, they launched the Gnawa Generation festival three years ago, where groups of young artists perform to Gnawa standards "with respect for tradition" before a jury of elder masters.

For everyone involved, said the young musician, "it is important to preserve this culture and pass it on to the next generation".

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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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While you're here
At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

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Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

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Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

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Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
 

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Day 3, stumps

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Australia 151

India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

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Getting there

The flights

Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.

The stay

Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net 

Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama

Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com

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Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.