Gnawa für alle

In this workshop, Maalem Hicham Bilali takes the gnawa to where it is learned: in direct hand-to-hand transmission. The students, who sing, play qraqeb and dance alongside the master for years before they are allowed to become maalem themselves, are called koyo - apprentice. For one afternoon at HKW, the participants become temporary koyos.

The workshop is aimed at everyone: curious people without any previous experience who want to finally understand what the gnawa actually is; dancers and percussionists who want to get the gnawa pulse and qraqeb patterns into their bodies; professional musicians who work with this music and need the basic rhythmic and modal vocabulary. Bilali proceeds in three steps: the pulse - how to hold and beat the qraqeb, those two-part iron castanets, and link them into the 6/8 feeling of the Gnawa; the singing - the structure of call and response, with simple, clearly learnable phrases; the body - the basic movements from which the dance of purple develops.

No previous knowledge necessary. Do not bring any instruments - the qraqeb will be provided. Bilali is Maalem from Fès, has lived in Brussels since 2007, leads Gnawa Black Koyo there and will be performing at the festival on the opening evening. Anyone who wants to can come to the workshop and experience the music in a completely different way that evening: no longer from the outside, but from the inside.