The tiny village of Khamlia, inhabited by less than 150 people, is now known all over the world. According to some sources, Khamlia derives from the Arabic term Khamila which designates a soil with an abundance of vegetation. Here there are many descendants of the slaves led, through the famous Timbouctou, from Senegal, Sudan and Mali, who brought this hypnotic music with them. Music capable of inducing a state of trance, thanks to low and rhythmic sounds, songs and the rhythm of the clapping of hands. The Berbers of Merzouga have always defined Khamlia “the village of blacks”. A true cross-section of Black Africa that managed to survive in the heart of the Sahara. There are no hotels here but you can visit it if you take the Merzouga desert tour. The village is in fact located about 7 km away, surrounded by absolute nothingness and close to the majestic Erg Chebbi dunes.
In fact, this village is supported by tourism because in some houses of the village you can enjoy Gnaoua music and dances while sipping a delicious mint tea and above all learn about the traditions, customs and lifestyle of the Gnaoua.

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WHO ARE GNAWA?
For centuries black Africans from the Gnawa tribe, originating from sub-Saharan countries such as The Sudan, Mali and Niger, were forcibly moved from their homelands across the Sahara to Morocco as part of the worldwide slave trade. Shackled in chains as they crossed the desert, they sang to soothe and found a mindfulness in the rhythmic chanting and clanking of the chains. The etymology of the word gnaoua or gnawi is not yet clearly established. For Maurice Delafosse there would exist a phonetic similarity with the Berber ”akal-n-iguinaouen” which means land of blacks.

SLAVERY AND BLACK GUARD
Natives of this old sub-Saharan empire, the first Gnawas were brought, it is thought, in the sixteenth century by Sultan Ahmed el Mansour, 3rd Saadian sultan nicknamed El Dehbi, the Golden, in reference to a glorious campaign conducted on Timbuktu from where he brought back a significant quantity of gold. He also took 12,000 slaves from Bilal el Sudan, the land of the blacks. This workforce worked in the sugar cane plantations of the Berber country Haha near Essaouira and made strain in this region. Some were enlisted in the army and formed what became the Sultan’s Black Guard.

Infact slaves played a big part in Moroccan history and some of the most powerful kasbahs such as Telouet in the High Atlas were built by their hard labour. Telouet Kasbah is situated next to an ancient salt mine and it is said that 1 kilo of gold was equal to 1 kilo of salt and 2 slaves. Long before the caravans reached the High Atlas though, they had to cross through the desert town of Sijilmasa. This was the Mecca of the Maghreb and a vital trade post on the Trans-Saharan route. Slaves were forced to toil in this area as shepherds and servants, and this practice continued for generations.

Although Islam really started to take a hold in Morocco in the 11th century it took a long time to find its way through the wild and inhospitable terrain and wasn’t fully imposed until the 18th century. As slavery is forbidden in Islam, it was at this point that these slaves in Sijilmasa, today known as Rissani, were granted freedom.

The emancipated slaves had retained knowledge of their culture, customs and traditions to such an extent that they were still able to make their musical instruments such as the Guembri and Hajhuj from the intestines and skin of goats and wood from the desert Tamarisk tree. They revived their spiritual music but changed its form to one of gratitude to God and the Prophet Mohammed. Gnawa music became a music of thanksgiving for freedom, and nostalgia for the homeland.

THE LEGEND OF GNAWA MUSIC
Central to the Gnaoua sound are krakebs (also known as castanets) and a gimbri (a three-stringed guitar carved from a log with the back side covered in camel skin). Each line or phrase is repeated several times by the maâlem (master musician), with the sound of the instruments intensifying as the dancers move to the unique rhythms, often entering a trance-like state dressed in colorful gowns and caps decorated in cowry shells.

The ceremony takes place in three phases: the Aâda, the Oulad Bambra and the M’louk:
The Aâda is a colourful procession accompanied by t’bels (drums) and rattlesnakes (krakeb). Wandering, they call incantatorily for a therapeutic and spiritual healing using a song called “l’aafou ya moulana” (deliver us, Lord). In the procession the moqaddema and the arifa carry a brazier of incense spraying the assistance of orange blossom. The Oulad Bambra is the profane part of the Lila. Preparation for the ceremony, the atmosphere is serene. The songs evoke the Prophet, the ancestors and the nostalgia of the old Sudan before slavery. The musicians dance in front of the maâlem, moving back and forth clapping their hands. Then in a circle, everyone demonstrates their qualities as dancers and acrobats. The M’louk is the sacred part of the Lila. The geniuses of the seven colors are invoked there. Fumigations of jaoui (incense) are widely used to sanctify the guembri of maâlem and soothe geniuses.

“O âawnakh ya Rebbi! “
“O Lord! Come to our aid “

“Aah laâfou ya moulana!” Aah laâfou Allah! Ya Rbbi Lâafou moulana… ”
“Deliverance! O Our Lord! Deliverance O Allah, Almighty! . “

“Ayaah awahya waya awaya, farrej Moulana, a laâfou Yallah”
“Free us our Lord …”

Today the music has become much more mainstream and popular, with nightly performances on Jemaa el Fna square in Marrakech, and the sounds ringing through the medina of Essaouira. Each year in the seaside town, the Gnaoua World Music Festival sees the biggest names in Gnaoua perform on the main stages, often fusing with international jazz and world music sensations.

Are you planning to visit Morocco? Book your travel experience today!

Sources: https://theculturetrip.com >> https://www.holidway.com >> https://sudestmaroc.com/

Photo credit: cover photo by joaocbsousa – nr. 1 by moroccochameleonic – nr. 2 by ignaciosantana.photos – nr. 3 by lahcen_taghlaoui nr. 4 by gibsonatal – nr. 5 by mino_mizo through Instagram