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Singing Morocco's new identity

How Gnawa music, traditionally performed by descendants of enslaved people, helps uncover a little-mentioned chapter of Moroccan history.

Gnawa music is a Moroccan spiritual musical tradition developed by descendants of enslaved people from Sub-Saharan Africa. It combines ritual poetry with traditional music and dance, and is traditionally only performed by men. But one female Moroccan artist, Asm芒a Hamzaoui, has broken the mould. She's become an international star, who has even performed for Madonna on her birthday. For Assignment, reporter Myriam Francois travels to Casablanca to meet Asmaa and her family, and follows her to the Essaouira Festival, the annual celebration of Gnawa culture.

What does its ever-growing popularity tell us about the changing identity of a country that once saw itself primarily as part of the Arab world, but has now become more interested in its links to the rest of the African continent?

Presenter: Myriam Francois
Producer: Tim Whewell
Series editor: Penny Murphy

(Photo: Asm芒a Hamzaoui. Credit: Myriam Francois/大象传媒)

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 3 Sep 2023 18:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 31 Aug 2023 01:32GMT
  • Thu 31 Aug 2023 08:32GMT
  • Thu 31 Aug 2023 12:32GMT
  • Thu 31 Aug 2023 19:06GMT
  • Sun 3 Sep 2023 11:32GMT
  • Sun 3 Sep 2023 18:32GMT

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