The Gnawa Lions: Authenticity and Opportunity in Moroccan Ritual Music

Author:   Christopher Witulski
Publisher:   Indiana University Press
ISBN:  

9780253036797


Pages:   196
Publication Date:   06 August 2018
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Our Price $170.95 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

The Gnawa Lions: Authenticity and Opportunity in Moroccan Ritual Music


Add your own review!

Overview

Traditionally gnawa musicians in Morocco played for all-night ceremonies where communities gathered to invite spirits to heal mental, physical, and social ills untreatable by other means. Now gnawa music can be heard on the streets of Marrakech, at festivals in Essaouira, in Fez's cafes, in Casablanca's nightclubs, and in the bars of Rabat. As it moves further and further from its origins as ritual music and listeners seek new opportunities to hear performances, musicians are challenged to adapt to new tastes while competing for potential clients and performance engagements. Christopher Witulski explores how gnawa musicians straddle popular and ritual boundaries to assert, negotiate, and perform their authenticity in this rich ethnography of Moroccan music. Witulski introduces readers to gnawa performers, their friends, the places where they play, and the people they play for. He emphasizes the specific strategies performers use to define themselves and their multiple identities as Muslims, Moroccans, and traditional musicians. The Gnawa Lions reveals a shifting terrain of music, ritual, and belief that follows the negotiation of musical authenticity, popular demand, and economic opportunity.

Full Product Details

Author:   Christopher Witulski
Publisher:   Indiana University Press
Imprint:   Indiana University Press
ISBN:  

9780253036797


ISBN 10:   0253036798
Pages:   196
Publication Date:   06 August 2018
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Notes on transliteration and transcription Chapter 1: One Minute in Meknes Chapter 2: Defending Ritual Authority Chapter 3: African Routes and Sufi Roots Chapter 4: Making a Living as a Contemporary Ritual Musician Chapter 5: New Opportunities Chapter 6: Light Rhythms and Heavy Spirits Chapter 7: Fighting New Demands Chapter 8: Heritage and Hybridity Chapter 9: New Authorities and Authenticities Bibliography Index

Reviews

It is not the easiest of reads, but the subject is fascinating, and the book is absolutely packed with information on a traditional music undergoing rapid change. * RnR Magazine *


Author Information

Christopher Witulski is an instructor of ethnomusicology at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

lgn

al

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List