POP Montréal Music
Asmaa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou
Asmaa Hamzaoui is the foremost female ambassador of Gnawa music. With her group Bnat
Timbouktou, she delivers a contagious brand of evangelistic desert blues.
Even though women are essential to Gnawa rituals, there has not been many female Gnawa
musicians. Asmâa Hamzaoui and the group Bnat Timboktou are part of a new wave who
changes this trend. Hamzaoui was born into a Casablanca family who has lived and breathed
Gnawa – her father is a master musician, her mother a dancer. She was taught the guembri as a
child, and at an early age, she joined her fathers band on qraqeb and choir, before he
encouraged her to start her own group. That became Bnat Timboktou, the band who in late
spring will release “L´bnat” the follow up to the critically acclaimed debut album “Oulad
Ighaba” on the Swedish label ajabu! Records.
“To us, Gnawa stands above all other kinds of music.
It’s our childhood. It’s spiritual, healing, and it makes you feel grounded.”
When this group of women performs, the guembri – a plucked lute played in a percussive
style – and Asmaa Hamzaoui’s expressive voice are the centrepiece, while the soundscape is
filled with the rhythmic percussion of qraqeb, so characteristic of Gnawa music.
“When I play the guembri, I’m truly in my element.
It’s hand-made of wood and goatskin. That makes it alive, in a sense.”
In 2017, Asmaa and the recordlabel ajabu! forged a deeper connection and started recording
the critically acclaimed debutalbum “Oulad Lghaba” in Casablanca and Stockholm. The
album received great response and recognition worldwide and was also nominated for a
Songlines Music Award.
The follow up and new album “L´bnat” will be released worldwide late spring 2024 and focus
on the female traditions and spirits within the gnawa culture.
While a traditionalist in many ways, Hamzaoui is also a trailblazer, bringing the gnawa music
to places such as the Roskilde Festival, BAM in Barcelona, Square and Tremor in Portugal and Womad. She wants to keep gnawa alive – in this instance, it’s a case of
transformation through preservation.
Timbouktou, she delivers a contagious brand of evangelistic desert blues.
Even though women are essential to Gnawa rituals, there has not been many female Gnawa
musicians. Asmâa Hamzaoui and the group Bnat Timboktou are part of a new wave who
changes this trend. Hamzaoui was born into a Casablanca family who has lived and breathed
Gnawa – her father is a master musician, her mother a dancer. She was taught the guembri as a
child, and at an early age, she joined her fathers band on qraqeb and choir, before he
encouraged her to start her own group. That became Bnat Timboktou, the band who in late
spring will release “L´bnat” the follow up to the critically acclaimed debut album “Oulad
Ighaba” on the Swedish label ajabu! Records.
“To us, Gnawa stands above all other kinds of music.
It’s our childhood. It’s spiritual, healing, and it makes you feel grounded.”
When this group of women performs, the guembri – a plucked lute played in a percussive
style – and Asmaa Hamzaoui’s expressive voice are the centrepiece, while the soundscape is
filled with the rhythmic percussion of qraqeb, so characteristic of Gnawa music.
“When I play the guembri, I’m truly in my element.
It’s hand-made of wood and goatskin. That makes it alive, in a sense.”
In 2017, Asmaa and the recordlabel ajabu! forged a deeper connection and started recording
the critically acclaimed debutalbum “Oulad Lghaba” in Casablanca and Stockholm. The
album received great response and recognition worldwide and was also nominated for a
Songlines Music Award.
The follow up and new album “L´bnat” will be released worldwide late spring 2024 and focus
on the female traditions and spirits within the gnawa culture.
While a traditionalist in many ways, Hamzaoui is also a trailblazer, bringing the gnawa music
to places such as the Roskilde Festival, BAM in Barcelona, Square and Tremor in Portugal and Womad. She wants to keep gnawa alive – in this instance, it’s a case of
transformation through preservation.
