Innov Gnawa
Innov Gnawa is a Grammy-nominated musical collective dedicated to exploring Morocco’s venerable Gnawa music tradition in the heart of New York City. Formed in the summer of 2014, the group draws on the considerable talents and expertise of Hassan Ben Jaafer, a maâlem, or master Gnawa musician, originally from Fez, Morocco. Under the guidance of Ben Jaafer, Innov has delved deep into the roots and rituals of Gnawa music, and made a big splash in NYC, playing some of the city’s most prestigious rooms including Lincoln Center, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn Bowl and the storied backroom of Brooklyn’s Barbès.
Hailed by Brooklyn magazine as one of the "5 bands you need to know in Brooklyn's Arabic music scene", Innov Gnawa make great use of this traditional repertoire, and add their own, contemporary spin with additional African and latin percussion. Taken as a whole, this exciting new outfit works hard to fuse a centuries old North African tradition with the pulse and attitude of New York City now.
