Imal Gnawa Performs Live

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – "Imal Gnawa Performs Live"

Release Date: August 8, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart
Podcast Title: All Of It
Description: ALL OF IT is a show about culture and its consumers, exploring the multifaceted dimensions of cultural expression through conversations with thinkers, doers, makers, and creators.

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Introduction to Imal Gnawa

In this episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart welcomes listeners to a vibrant showcase featuring Imal Gnawa, a pioneering local band led by Atlas Phoenix. Known for their innovative fusion, Imal Gnawa blends traditional Moroccan Gnawa music with cutting-edge technology and futurist ideas. The band recently released their debut EP in January, signaling a promising entry into the contemporary music scene.

Alison Stewart highlights the band's participation in the April Get Lit with All Of It Book Club event alongside author Leila Lalamy, who specifically requested a contemporary Moroccan artist for the evening. This collaboration underscores the podcast's commitment to bridging cultural narratives through diverse artistic expressions.

Live Performance: A Fusion of Tradition and Modernity

The episode features a live performance by Imal Gnawa, setting the stage for an immersive cultural experience. Atlas Phoenix introduces the concept behind their music, describing Gnawa as "ancient psychiatry" practiced before the advent of modern psychiatric methods. He elaborates:

"Gnawa is basically like ancient psychiatry. Before modern psychiatry, people would gather up and play these trance rhythms."
(00:42)

Imal Gnawa distinguishes itself by incorporating sci-fi elements into their performances, integrating synthesizers to create a unique soundscape. The band lineup includes:

• Andrew Fox on synthesizers
• Elon Elkaim on drum machine
• Mustafa on Karkava and vocals
• Atlas Phoenix on Gimbri (a traditional bass instrument)

Exploring Gnawa Music and Cultural Significance

During the performance of "Mimouna," Atlas Phoenix provides cultural context:

"Mimouna is a Jewish female Moroccan saint and a Jewish holiday."
(02:50)

He explains that Mimouna is a tradition celebrated by various communities in Morocco, including the Jewish population. This tradition exemplifies the rich cultural tapestry that Gnawa music weaves, blending spiritual and communal elements.

Understanding the Gimbri and Musical Heritage

In a subsequent interview segment, Atlas Phoenix delves into the significance of the Gimbri, referred to as the "great grandmother of bass." He clarifies:

"Gimbri... is where bass guitar evolved from. It migrated from Sub-Saharan Africa to Morocco and evolved in Morocco."
(08:21)

The Gimbri's role in Gnawa music is pivotal, providing the foundational rhythms that drive the trance-inducing melodies characteristic of the genre.

Symbolism of Colors in Gnawa Music

A fascinating aspect of Imal Gnawa's music is the use of colors to represent spirits. Atlas Phoenix explains:

"Gnawa music goes by spirits and colors. Each color has a collection of songs representing ancient spirits, like gods and goddesses. This tradition has been passed down orally for a thousand years."
(08:40)

Each color—such as blue, black, and green—encapsulates a suite of songs that honor various spirits. This symbolic framework adds a layer of depth and meaning to their performances, connecting listeners to the spiritual heritage of Gnawa.

Balancing Tradition with Technological Innovation

When discussing the integration of traditional elements with modern technology, Atlas Phoenix emphasizes harmony and evolution:

"I think everything is connected and it's just about what fits. We studied it, met, and then made this. We produced the first album solo with synthesizers, the second with vocalists, and the third with a visiting artist, Malem."
(10:02)

This approach reflects Imal Gnawa's commitment to preserving cultural authenticity while embracing innovation, allowing them to experiment and expand their musical horizons.

Future Endeavors and Artistic Vision

Looking ahead, Atlas Phoenix shares the band's aspirations:

"We just want to play music and enjoy music, experiment with it, and heal ourselves first. Anyone who resonates with this vibe can also benefit."
(10:53)

Imal Gnawa plans to continue their musical journey, focusing on creativity and personal growth, with an open invitation for listeners to join them in their cultural and artistic exploration.

Next Performance: "Gilali Boelam"

The episode concludes with a preview of their next performance piece, "Gilali Boelam." Atlas Phoenix provides insight into the song's inspiration:

"Gilali Boelam is about a bohemian spiritual marabout who migrated from modern-day Iraq to North Africa, establishing a Sufi sect. Moroccans, including Gnawa musicians, sing about him."
(11:13)

This piece further exemplifies the band's dedication to storytelling through music, drawing from historical and spiritual narratives to enrich their performances.

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Conclusion

This episode of All Of It offers an in-depth look into Imal Gnawa, highlighting their fusion of traditional Gnawa music with modern technological elements. Through engaging performances and insightful discussions, Alison Stewart showcases the band's role in preserving and evolving cultural heritage, making it accessible and relevant to contemporary audiences. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to Gnawa music, this episode provides a rich and immersive experience into the vibrant world of Moroccan cultural expression.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Imal Ganawa is a local band led by Atlas Phoenix. They blend traditional Moroccan Ganawa music with modern technology and futurist ideas. They released their debut EP in January. We were thrilled they were able to join us for our April get lit with all of it book club event with author Leila Lalamy, who requested a contemporary Moroccan artist for the evening. You'll hear some of my conversation with the band's frontman, Atlas Phoenix in a minute, but first, here's a live performance from Imal Ganawa.

[Atlas Phoenix]

Thank you, guys. We're gonna share with you some Gnawa vibes. So Ginawa is basically like ancient psychiatry. Before the modern psychiatry. People would gather up and they play these trance rhythms. But the way we do it is we're adding sci fi elements, including the synthesizers. And that's going to be led by Andrew, Andrew Fox. Please give it up to Andrew. And a drum machine. That's Elon Elkaim. And we're doing the traditional part. Mustafa on Karkava and vocals. And me un Gimbri. So Gimbri is this great grandmother of bass. And I'll let you guys listen to it. And we're going to perform Mimouna. We're going to perform two songs. So the first one is Mimouna. So in Morocco, this tradition is shared by many communities, including Jewish community. So Mimouna is a Jewish female, a Moroccan Jewish female saint and. And also a holiday Jewish hol.

[Audience Member]

Wall. Sam sa.

[Interviewer]

Atlas, can I ask you a couple of questions before we hear your next song?

[Atlas Phoenix]

Sure, yeah.

[Interviewer]

First of all, what is the name? You said it's the grandfather of the bass. What is that called again?

[Atlas Phoenix]

Maybe grandmother.

[Interviewer]

Grandmother. Grandparent. What's it called again?

[Atlas Phoenix]

Gimbri.

[Interviewer]

A gimbri.

[Atlas Phoenix]

Yeah. But you can also call it Haj sent here. It's where bass, bass guitar evolved from. Yeah, it migrated from sub Saharan Africa to Morocco and it evolved in Morocco.

[Interviewer]

Before you sent over some of the music you were going to play for us tonight, you described it as having colors. Some of one piece was blue, another was black, another was green. First of all, what did we just hear? Blue, Black, green.

[Atlas Phoenix]

This is blue.

[Interviewer]

This is blue. What does blue mean?

[Atlas Phoenix]

Actually, this is black.

[Interviewer]

This is black.

[Atlas Phoenix]

Okay.

[Interviewer]

What does black mean?

[Atlas Phoenix]

So Genoa music goes by spirits and colors. Like, goes by colors. And each color has a collection, is a collection of songs. And those songs, they represent ancient spirits. Like, you know, maybe they were gods and goddesses back in the day. Because this is one 1000 year tradition. It was passed down orally. So but they evolved, you know, like Mimouna for example, like is an evolution itself of this spirit, you know, so like these spirits, like each color represents a bunch of spirits. And what is. It's like a courtyard, you know, people, they think they're possessed. That's how they interpreted their illnesses. And Gnawa is there to basically like a judge, like basically like mediating between the. Through trends of course between the dancer and. And spirits basically.

[Interviewer]

So you have this beautiful traditional music and then the guys back there on the electronics. How do you think about balancing the tradition and the technology? Because that's what a lot of what the book was about.

[Atlas Phoenix]

I think everything is connected and it's just about what fits. So we studied it and we met and then we made this and we produced the first album and we have two more but different experiences because the first one was just like solo with synthesizers. But the second one was with a group of vocalists and the third one, we did it with a visitor, Malem, he was visiting and we made that album. We're gonna release it soon, hopefully.

[Interviewer]

So what are your plans for the future of the band?

[Atlas Phoenix]

You know, we, you know, just to play music and enjoy music. You know, enjoy music and experiment with it and you know, we heal ourselves first and then anybody that vibrates with the, with the, with this vibe like can also get the benefit.

[Interviewer]

What's the next song we're going to hear?

[Atlas Phoenix]

This one is we're going to switch back to Muslim marabouts and we have a song called Gilali Boelam. So Gilleli or Giuliani is known in Arabic literature as Giuliani. He's like not Al Halaj but he's similar to Halaj is this bohemian spiritual marabout migrated from modern day Iraq, Baghdad to North Africa and established like a Sufi. A Muslim Sufi sects, sect if you want. And, and that's it. And Moroccans, they, they, they sing about, they sing songs about him including Gnawa. So that's what we're gonna hear right now. Here's Imam.

[Audience Member]

It's.

[Atlas Phoenix]

Thank you guys. Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

That was a live performance from the band Imal Ginawa from our April get lit with all of it book club event. And that is all of it for today. I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you have a great weekend and I'll meet you back here on Monday.

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