DATHLIAD CYMRU AFFRICA 2024 (Friday): Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou + more TBA

Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou

Asmâa Hamzaoui, one of the very few female ambassadors of Moroccan Gnawa music, brings the vibrant energy of desert blues. She will be joined by her group, Bnat Timbouktou.

Despite the essential role women have played in Gnawa rituals, female musicians have historically been underrepresented. Asmâa Hamzaoui and the group Bnat Timbouktou are part of a new wave changing this trend. Born into a Casablanca family who have lived and breathed Gnawa – Asmâa’s father a master musician, her mother a dancer. She was taught the guembri (lute) from age 6.

‘To us, Gnawa stands above all other kinds of music. It’s our childhood. It’s spiritual, healing, and it makes you feel grounded.’

The debut album Oulad Lghaba was nominated for a Songlines Music Award and they have performed across the globe including Roskilde Festival, BAM in Barcelona, Kaustinen in Finland and in summer 2024 at Womad. She wants to keep gnawa alive – in this instance, it’s a case of transformation through preservation.

More acts to be announced.