Gnawa emerged from 17th-18th century Morocco through West African slaves from Mali, blending African rhythms with Berber melodies and Islamic chants. The genre features hypnotic rhythms, the three-stringed guembri bass, and qraqeb metal castanets creating trance-inducing soundscapes. Gnawa remains central to spiritual healing rituals called Lila, bridging ancestral traditions with Sufi devotional practices.
