Dead of Night

The renowned master of Moroccan Gnawa music, Mahmoud Guinia, died in 2015; this album by his son Houssam serves as a loving tribute, recalling the songs Houssam heard and learnt at his father’s knee as a child. Aptly recorded through late night into the early morning hours in his Casablanca home, Dead of Night is personal and deeply intimate. There’s none of the customary clattering of the metal qaraqab castanets or even the chorus of fellow Gnawis; instead, a relaxed Houssam sings solo, accompanying himself with the bluesy thrum of the gimbri (bass lute). It’s a different listening experience from the Gnawa’s Sufi rituals, but it allows for a closer concentration on the beauty of the melodic lines and Guinia’s soft, slightly rasping voice. While for a non-initiate, there may be little variation between each song, it’s a lovely, meditative set that captures Gnawa music in a way less often heard.