Some Meknassi Gnawa Music, Before Ramadan Hits

As Chaâbane winds down, here's some Gnawa music for you, before Ramadan arrives.

One of two Gnawa tapes I picked up in 1999 in Meknes, this is credited to "Hamid Laguenawi" (Hamid the Gnawi). The other tape is credited to a Hamid al-Hadri, and at one point I wondered if they were the same musician. I just compared them, and they sound nothing like each other - neither the voice nor the guinbri playing. What was I thinking?

Like my other Meknassi tape, this one features songs from the Ouled Bambara suite that opens the Gnawa lila ceremony. In fact, the sequence of songs on the 2 tapes is identical from "Fangoro Fangoro" forward. This suggests to me that this is the typical order of songs in the Meknes lila. (The sequence is different in several ways from the sequence I know from Marrakech.)

Thanks, everyone, for visiting the stash. I'm not sure if I'll be posting during Ramadan, so it may be a few weeks before I'm back here. Best Wishes for a magical summer. And to those of you observing Ramadan, may it be a time of reflection, insight, and inspiration.

Hamid Laguenawi - Sawt el Ismailia 30

1. Habib el Mal (includes Zid el Mal, Ye Lalla Ya Bungra)
2. Bangara Bangara (includes Fangoro Fangoro, Amara Yobati, Sidi Amaro Sheshiyat Bambara, Berrma Susanbi)
3. Yobadi (includes Yobati, Rijal Allah Wahid Allah, Jalaba Titara, Jalaba Tiktu, Ahayo)
4. Bulila (includes Kalkani Bulila, Lâribi Lâribi)

Get it here.