Zehra Vinyl & CDs

Review: It was in 1990 that Bill Laswell and Richard Horowitz joined forces to take care of the production of local Gnawa musicians for this Nigh Spirits Masters album. It was recorded in the medina of Marrakesh and is an absolutely essential listen for anyone with an interest in African and Middle Eastern music. The Gnawa, if you don't know, are an ethnic group in what is today called Morocco. They are descendants of West African slaves who arrived in the 16th century and were converted to Islam but still kept with them remnants of their animistic practices. They perform a complex and long ceremony to recreate the genesis of the universe and this music is a large part of it.