As the desert camp campfire settles into embers and the Milky Way blazes overhead, your Berber guide lifts his guembri — the three-string bass lute — and begins to play. A second musician joins with the qaraqeb (cast iron castanets), and what follows is an evening of Gnawa music — one of humanity’s most ancient and powerful musical traditions, and an essential part of every Morocco desert camp experience.
What Is Gnawa Music?
Gnawa is a spiritual musical tradition that blends ancient sub-Saharan African healing practices with North African Berber and Islamic spiritual elements. Originating among enslaved West Africans brought to Morocco via the trans-Saharan caravan routes, Gnawa music was traditionally used in healing ceremonies (lila) — extended overnight rituals where specific rhythms and colors were believed to invoke different spiritual entities to heal particular ailments. In 2019, UNESCO inscribed Gnawa music on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Gnawa Music at Desert Camps
At Merzouga desert camps, Gnawa musicians perform a more accessible version of their tradition — entertaining guests with the characteristic call-and-response singing, the deep throb of the guembri, and the hypnotic clatter of the qaraqeb. It’s an extraordinary experience to hear this ancient music under the stars in the silence of the Sahara. Many guests describe it as one of the most moving musical experiences of their lives.
Experience Gnawa music authentically on all our Merzouga overnight tours. Browse our 3-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Tour, 3-Day Luxury Fes to Marrakech Desert Tour, and 4-Day Luxury Private Desert Tour. See our activities page for details on private Gnawa performance bookings. National Geographic – Sahara Desert covers Morocco’s extraordinary intangible cultural heritage.
