Plaza Concert: Innov Gnawa
Hailing from Morocco, yet based in New York City, Innov Gnawa has held a mesmerizing space in the world of Gnawa spiritual music, which has been deeply rooted in the Cherifian Kingdom since the 14th century. Indeed, the freed enslaved people of West Africa developed a religious syncretism, mixing their beliefs with the Moroccan culture. A new musical community was born from this process.
Consisting of numerous invocations to the Prophet Muhammad, but also to the Christian saints, Gnawa sounds ultimately aim at reaching a state of trance. Within the gnawa groups, there is a maâlem, a master, who plays the guembri or sintir, a three-string bass that has been transformed into a kind of modern banjo. The maâlem is accompanied by a brotherhood of musicians playing karkabas and metal castanets, which symbolize the chains of the enslaved.
The Grammy-nominated group is led by Maâlem Hassan Ben Jaafer. The title maâlem denotes his ancestral heritage of the musical tradition. Hassan Ben Jaaffer is accompanied by Amino Belyamani and Ahmed Jeriouda.
Rain date for this event is Thursday, August 12, 7pm.
For the full list of this summer's plaza performances, click here: bklynlib.org/plaza.
Central Library closes at 8:00pm and restroom facilities will be unavailable after this time. Limited outdoor seating is available on a first come, first served basis. These performances will not be streamed.
Hailing from Morocco, yet based in New York City, Innov Gnawa has held a mesmerizing space in the world of Gnawa spiritual music, which has been deeply rooted in the Cherifian Kingdom since the 14th century. Indeed, the freed enslaved people of West Africa developed a religious syncretism, mixing their beliefs with the Moroccan culture. A new musical community was born from this process.
Consisting of numerous invocations to the Prophet Muhammad, but also to the Christian saints, Gnawa sounds ultimately aim at reaching a state of trance. Within the gnawa groups, there is a maâlem, a master, who plays the guembri or sintir, a three-string bass that has been transformed into a kind of modern banjo. The maâlem is accompanied by a brotherhood of musicians playing karkabas and metal castanets, which symbolize the chains of the enslaved.
The Grammy-nominated group is led by Maâlem Hassan Ben Jaafer. The title maâlem denotes his ancestral heritage of the musical tradition. Hassan Ben Jaaffer is accompanied by Amino Belyamani and Ahmed Jeriouda.
Rain date for this event is Thursday, August 12, 7pm.
For the full list of this summer's plaza performances, click here: bklynlib.org/plaza.
Brooklyn Public Library - Central Library, Plaza MM/DD/YYYY 60