Lila
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MAALEM MAHJOUB & GNAWA FROM MARRAKECH
The significance of Gnawa music has increased with the world music phenomenon. Specialist record labels such as Real World (Peter Gabriel), Sonodisc, Axiom and Al Sure have incorporated some Gnawi in their catalogues at the request of such enlightened producers as Bill Laswel, Peter Gabriel, Steve Shehan or Meissoniere.
Those musicians who are most intrigued by the African-Moroccan culture were originally black African jazz players searching for identity. The concept of returning to ones roots and to Africa, the land of origin, lead them to Morocco through the mass exoduses of their ancestors. (For example Spirit of our ancestors by Randy Weston). Examples include Randy Weston, Don Cherry and Pharaoh Sanderse. Rock stars such as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant from Led Zepplin have also enlisted the help of Gnawa for their No Quarter CD.
The Rolling Stones also used to go regularly to Marrakech to attend the lila as well as to meet the spirit of Brian Jones! Sapho, Podjama, the Kerhun Celts, Ekova, Khaled, Mami and Bianca Lie have also been there.
