The Gnawa musicians in Brussels: a cultural reorganisation
This article examines the Gnawa musical practices in Brussels through an ethnomusicological approach. The Gnawa belong to a community originating in Morocco, and have integrated new elements into their practices, which could be explained by their relocation abroad. Furthermore, the comparison with t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Université libre de Bruxelles - ULB
2015-08-01
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| Series: | Brussels Studies |
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| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/1294 |
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| _version_ | 1839595380926316544 |
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| author | Hélène Sechehaye Stéphanie Weisser |
| author_facet | Hélène Sechehaye Stéphanie Weisser |
| author_sort | Hélène Sechehaye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article examines the Gnawa musical practices in Brussels through an ethnomusicological approach. The Gnawa belong to a community originating in Morocco, and have integrated new elements into their practices, which could be explained by their relocation abroad. Furthermore, the comparison with the situation in other cities allows us to assume that the situation in Brussels has a unique character. There have been changes in the methods of learning this musical practice, women now mix with men not only in secular but also ritual musical practice, and there has been a diversification of performance contexts. This has prompted Gnawa musicians to learn other Moroccan musical styles, which they use as inspiration for their Gnawa repertoire, in theory closed to the integration of outside elements. Far from deploring a hypothetical loss of authenticity due to their migration, the Gnawa in Brussels have redefined their musical practices and their methods of operation, by adapting them to their new place of residence. In so doing, they continually reshape their identity, which allows them to be part of a very specific cultural and social heritage while exploring new territories. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f0a61d38246f43f3bc0172f4cd8ecf45 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2031-0293 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | Université libre de Bruxelles - ULB |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brussels Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-f0a61d38246f43f3bc0172f4cd8ecf452025-08-02T23:06:05ZengUniversité libre de Bruxelles - ULBBrussels Studies2031-02932015-08-0110.4000/brussels.1294The Gnawa musicians in Brussels: a cultural reorganisationHélène SechehayeStéphanie WeisserThis article examines the Gnawa musical practices in Brussels through an ethnomusicological approach. The Gnawa belong to a community originating in Morocco, and have integrated new elements into their practices, which could be explained by their relocation abroad. Furthermore, the comparison with the situation in other cities allows us to assume that the situation in Brussels has a unique character. There have been changes in the methods of learning this musical practice, women now mix with men not only in secular but also ritual musical practice, and there has been a diversification of performance contexts. This has prompted Gnawa musicians to learn other Moroccan musical styles, which they use as inspiration for their Gnawa repertoire, in theory closed to the integration of outside elements. Far from deploring a hypothetical loss of authenticity due to their migration, the Gnawa in Brussels have redefined their musical practices and their methods of operation, by adapting them to their new place of residence. In so doing, they continually reshape their identity, which allows them to be part of a very specific cultural and social heritage while exploring new territories.http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/1294immigrationmulticulturalismcultureheritage |
| spellingShingle | Hélène Sechehaye Stéphanie Weisser The Gnawa musicians in Brussels: a cultural reorganisation Brussels Studies immigration multiculturalism culture heritage |
| title | The Gnawa musicians in Brussels: a cultural reorganisation |
| title_full | The Gnawa musicians in Brussels: a cultural reorganisation |
| title_fullStr | The Gnawa musicians in Brussels: a cultural reorganisation |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Gnawa musicians in Brussels: a cultural reorganisation |
| title_short | The Gnawa musicians in Brussels: a cultural reorganisation |
| title_sort | gnawa musicians in brussels a cultural reorganisation |
| topic | immigration multiculturalism culture heritage |
| url | http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/1294 |
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