Trance Gnawa Express is an artistic creation that is both authentic and contemporary, bringing together gnawa music, electronic sound and visual projections in a raw, vibrating trance. The electronics add extra force to the powerful traditional music - without overwhelming it.
Hamouda, Amine and Ahmed are gnawas 3.0 from Essaouira - virtuoso dancers and musicians with roots in the Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira and extensive experience in musical fusion. Still, they longed for a musical encounter that would speak directly to their own generation.
The SAMIFATI duo, Sami on violin and machines, Axel on visual creation, have spent more than ten years traveling the world to meet artists from across the globe. For a long time, they had wished to engage more deeply with Gnawa culture, waiting for the right project to emerge. When the French Institute in Essaouira began searching for an original show for the 24th edition of the Gnaoua Festival, everything fell into place. The adventure could begin.
Everything came together seamlessly. Between these young artists, of the same generation but from very different backgrounds, both musical and human connection arose instantly. Trance Gnawa Express is popular yet artistically ambitious: a versatile, multicultural and transgenerational project that brings audiences together in an energetic and uplifting atmosphere.
