A Moroccan tradition of music, performance, fraternal practice and healing ritual that mixes the secular with the sacred. It uses krakebs (iron castanets), the guembri bass lute and call-and-response vocals.

Where can I hear Gnawa music in Morocco?

At the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira, usually in late spring or early summer, and in Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech in the evenings. Private lila ceremonies are included in Caviar's Morocco itineraries.

Gnawa Music and Morocco's Black Heritage

Q: Is Gnawa recognized by UNESCO?

Yes. UNESCO added Gnawa to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019.

Q: What should I read before I go?

Chouki El Hamel's Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam (Cambridge University Press).

There's a moment during Gnawa music when you stop just listening. The krakebs (heavy iron castanets) lock into a hypnotic pattern. The guembri, a bass lute, drops into a groove you feel in your chest. Then the call-and-response vocals begin, in Moroccan Arabic sprinkled with words from sub-Saharan African languages that were never fully erased.

What is Gnawa music, and why does it matter to Black travelers? Gnawa is Morocco's trance and healing music, carried by communities descended from West Africans brought north through the trans-Saharan slave trade. UNESCO recognized it in 2019. For diaspora travelers, it can feel like hearing family.

Key facts

UNESCO status: added to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019.
Roots: West Africans from lands that are now Mali, Niger, Senegal and their neighbors.
Where to hear it: the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira, usually late spring or early summer, and evenings in Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech.
Caviar trip:The Morocco Experience ends with a farewell feast in Fez with live Gnawa music.

As a Black traveler in Morocco, hearing Gnawa music is more than entertainment. It's a reminder that the African diaspora reaches far beyond the Atlantic.

UNESCO added Gnawa to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019, describing it as a set of musical events, performances, fraternal practices and healing rituals that mix the secular with the sacred (UNESCO).

The History Behind the Music

Camel caravan crossing golden Sahara dunes in Morocco Photo: Dan Calderwood / Unsplash

Gnawa communities trace their roots to West Africans brought to Morocco through the trans-Saharan slave trade, from the lands that are now Mali, Niger, Senegal and their neighbors.

Why This Matters for Black Travelers

Drummer in a red embroidered robe playing a hand drum in Marrakech Photo: sander traa / Unsplash

When we experience Gnawa music together as a group, something shifts. You recognize things: the call-and-response, the trance, the way music works as both worship and survival. A lot of our travelers hear echoes of the ring shout, the blues, and the gospel church.

For the history, Chouki El Hamel's book Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam (Cambridge University Press) is a good read before you go. I share more of what Black travelers should know in how Morocco changed my palette.

Experiencing Gnawa Today

Musicians in red robes with drums performing in Jemaa el-Fnaa square, Marrakech Photo: Tolla / Unsplash

Gnaoua World Music Festival, Essaouira: held each year, usually in late spring or early summer. Check the dates before you plan around it.
Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech: Gnawa musicians often play in the square in the evenings.
Our farewell feast in Fez: The Morocco Experience closes with live Gnawa music at dinner. A private lila can be arranged on a custom trip.

Planning the rest of the trip? Start with my Morocco luxury travel guide, then look at The Morocco Experience.

Book a free consultation to plan your Morocco trip.

6X Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist with 65+ countries visited across all 7 continents.