Mosawi Swiri

The youngest son of the late Mahmoud Gania, a Gnawa maalem (master) of singing and gimbri, the 23-year-old Houssam is an established live performer, having collaborated with synth player James Holden at the Barbican and at the Atlas Electronic festival in Marrakech. This is his hotly anticipated debut album consisting of six hefty tracks of Gnawa.

The tracks are rooted in Gnawa tradition, with songs inspired by the traditional Musawiyin Suite, evoking Sidi Musa, the master of sea and sky spirits. The first track, ‘Moulay Lhacham’, opens with silvery electric guitar and gimbri, with drum-kit improvisation gradually morphing into the all-important, underpinning 12/8 qaraqab (metal castanets).

Gania's gimbri playing is rock solid and rarely flamboyant and he keeps to a simple bassline, allowing his voice (similarly understated) and the other instrumentalists to hold focus. The rest of the album, and notably the title-track, is more traditional and limited to gimbri, qaraqab, Gania's lead vocal and a group of male response singers. In ‘Mosawi Swiri’ he demonstrates a more embellished vocal style, with melismatic phrases running together effortlessly. In ‘Kobayli Bala’ he shows off more of his gimbri virtuosity. Having heard the interesting texture of ‘Moulay Llacham’, I found myself wishing that this had been explored further, but this album is nonetheless a solid debut.