Wijdan: Mystery of Gnawa Trance Music

Overview

The Gnawa people have been shrouded in mystery since they were exiled from the Malian empire and brought as slaves to Morocco in the 16th century. In the last two decades, the power of their trance music has come into the spotlight thanks to Western musicians. Led Zeppelin, Archie Shepp, among others, have been fascinated by the mystical dimension of the music and its role in the rise of the blues. In this captivating documentary, filmmakers Bella Le Nestour and John Allen paint an intimate portrait of two men -- Sibiri Samaké, a Bambarra musician from Mali, and Brahim El Belkani, a Gnawa musician from Morocco -- who are seen during their historic meeting in 2000. In Arabic, wijdan means 'the meeting of souls.' We are privileged to watch as these masters of the supernatural trace their common roots back in time and as they impart their secret knowledge to the younger generation.