Essaouira and the Gnawa
A walled Atlantic port in Morocco where the Gnawa, descendants of people brought from sub-Saharan Africa, hold their night-long healing rite and a yearly music festival.
Practised and told of here
Best time: Late June for the Gnawa and World Music Festival; spring and autumn otherwise.
Essaouira, once called Mogador, was a trading port. A strong Gnawa community lives here, with lodges, called zawiya, where the lila ceremony is held.
The lila
The lila is a night of music and trance in which Gnawa masters, called maalem, play the guembri, a three-stringed bass lute, with metal clappers. The musicians call up the spirits, each linked to a colour, incense and rhythm, and members of the audience who dance are said to be taken. Participants hold it as a healing rite for people believed to be troubled by spirits.
History and change
The Gnawa trace their roots to enslaved people from Mali, Senegal and beyond, and their songs name Bilal, the Prophet's companion, as their patron saint. Recent decades brought the festival, jazz collaborations and international fame, and some musicians now say the rite is separate from the festival.
Visiting
A staged concert is different from a lila. Only attend a lila if invited by the community, as it is a private rite, and do not film it.
A respectful visit to Essaouira and the Gnawa
Living communities are not a show. Ask before photographing a person or a ceremony, and follow local rules.
- The Gnawa festival Attend the concerts in June.
- A Gnawa music shop Learn about the guembri and the colours.
- The ramparts Walk the fort above the sea.
- The harbour Watch the boats and the wood workers in the lanes.
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Essaouira" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and ceremonies change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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