Nass el Ghiwane

Formed in the early 1970s in the working-class neighborhoods of Casablanca, the group Nass el Ghiwane is part of the renewal of Moroccan urban music, blending dialectal singing, malhoun poetry, gnawa repertoires and Sufi influences. Partly emerging from the theatre, notably from experiences around Tayeb Saddiki, the founding members developed their songs on stage before recording them, in a context marked by strong social and political tensions. The lyrics, written in darija, address the condition of the popular classes, spirituality and inner exile, while the musical aesthetic relies on traditional percussion, strings and collective choirs. Over the decades, despite lineup changes due to the deaths and departures of several musicians, Nass el Ghiwane has continued to perform in Morocco, tour abroad and record, remaining associated with a scene where popular music, engaged theatre and documentary cinema intersect — notably through Ahmed El Maanouni’s film “Trances”, which captures a pivotal period in the group’s trajectory.