Evento

Celebrating the ancient spiritual music of North Africa with Innov Gnawa

Gnawa culture developed in Morocco, with roots in the forced displacement of people from other African countries. Gnawa music is part of a healing ritual called the "lila" which means "night" in Arabic. A "lila" is an intimate, communal night of celebration that can last up to 12 hours. It provides a safe space for those who wish to enter into a trance and to lose themselves in the hypnotic rhythms and soaring melodies of Gnawa music.

About Innov Gnawa:

Based in New York City, Innov Gnawa is a traditional Moroccan gnawa band led by Maalem Hassan Ben Jaafer. As the first gnawa band to be featured in Music Under New York, Innov Gnawa has quickly reached a large and adoring audience and enjoyed collaborations across different genres. From performing with Americana folk darlings at The Music Hall of Williamsburg to New Orleans, second-line all stars at Brooklyn Bowl and most recently with Gnawa Diffusion, Algerias reggae gnawa legends, at Lincoln Center, Innov Gnawa is uniting music fans with their innovative, hypnotic, and ecstatic take on North Africas trance-inducing folk tradition.

Innov Gnawa released their self-titled debut album on July 16, 2015 and recently released a limited edition LP on Pique Nique Recordings featuring remixed versions of two traditional gnawa songs.