29 min
Interview
On the Sintir and Carrying Gnawa to New York
A conversation about the instrument, the ceremonies he played as a boy, and what changed after he moved.
About the artist
Hassan Hakmoun
Hassan Hakmoun, born in 1963 in Marrakech, is a Gnawa musician who was already performing at all-night healing and trance ceremonies (lila) in his teens. He plays the sintir, the three-stringed bass lute that carries the Gnawa songs to the saints and spirits, accompanied by voices and iron castanets (qraqeb). Based in New York since 1987, he performs and teaches Gnawa music internationally.
Upcoming events
Meet Hassan Hakmoun in person.
Talks, day programmes and retreats currently listed in the Paths Are Many calendar.
No upcoming events are currently listed.
Talks & videos
Watch before you attend.
Short introductions and longer conversations, to hear this artist in their own words.
25 min
Music
Live at the Concert of Colors
A recent set filmed at the Detroit festival, with the sintir out front.
Path
The wider context.
✺
Drum, song and the ones who came before
Traditions of Africa & the Diaspora
Ifá, Candomblé, Haitian Vodou, Santería, Gnawa, zār and mbira: traditions in which drum, song and ceremony bring the spirits and the ancestors near.
Explore the path →
