Gnawa Music in Essaouira

Essaouira is the capital of Gnawa music — the trance tradition brought to Morocco by sub-Saharan slaves and now recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The musicians who play in the cafés of Place Moulay Hassan are not street performers. They are masters of a tradition that uses sound to heal. The Gnaoua World Music Festival every June transforms the entire city into a stage.