Saha Gnawa

The self-titled debut from Saha Gnawa pairs Moroccan Gnawa with NYC jazz and groove, channeling North African futurism through cross-cultural improvisation. Refined via late-night sessions at LunÀtico in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Saha Gnawa explores trance-like states through intuitive interplay, allowing ancestral rhythms and melodies to drift into unknown territories. What emerges is both an authentic performance of centuries-old Gnawa tradition and a bold step into new dimensions of sound, where traditional song forms dissolve into ecstatic dance tracks laced with subtle electronics. Saha Gnawa builds on the legacy of Innov Gnawa, who were nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Electronic Dance Track for their 2017 collaboration with Bonobo, "Bambro Koyo Ganda." The ensemble is co-led by Maâlem Hassan Ben Jaafar, a master musician carrying forward generations of Gnawa tradition as the son of esteemed Maâlem Abdullah Benjaafar of Fes. Trained in his father's officially recognized Gnawa school and by master musicians throughout Morocco, Ben Jaafar earned the title of Maâlem (master) as a teenager, an honor bestowed only by consensus of other masters. He performs on vocals and guembri (a three-stringed bass lute) and has collaborated with artists like Randy Weston. Co-leader Daniel Freedman, a drummer and composer, brings decades of experience collaborating with artists like David Byrne and Angelique Kidjo, as well as deep knowledge of traditions from Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. The ensemble also features Amino Belyamani (Innov Gnawa, Dawn of Midi) and David Lizmi (Innov Gnawa, Bombino) on qraqebs and backing vocals, Jason Lindner (David Bowie, Now vs Now) on keys and synths, and Guilherme Monteiro (Gal Costa, Forro in the Dark) and Gilad Hekselman on guitars. The album opens with "Soudani Manayou," invoking the West African Gnawa ancestors and honoring the Sahelian roots that flow through Gnawa music. Call-and-response vocals soar over ethereal electronics and driving guembri bass, while the hypnotic pulse of the qraqebs soundtracks the ancestral cross-Sahara journey. "Baba Mimoun" summons protective spirits with infectious joy. The electronic elements work in precision with traditional instruments, angular guitar cutting through punchy synths, kick drum naturally accompanying the qraqebs, synth bass reinforcing the sintir as everything drives toward a rapturous peak. "Bacha Hamou" invokes one of the most intense and demanding spirits in the Gnawa pantheon, the red spirit associated with sacrifice. Wilco guitarist Nels Cline features on this track, summoning the spirit through distorted, psychedelic guitar that builds waves of feedback and trance with mounting urgency. Abraham Rodriguez's Yoruba invocations join the conversation on "Tbal." The album reaches its interstellar peak on "Negshah," where Donny McCaslin's saxophone soars atop Roman Diaz's congas.