Right: Guedra Guedra by Fayssal Zaoui
Guedra Guedra via Instagram
London’s On The Corner Records’ label has released the debut album of the Moroccan producer Guedra Guedra on March 12th. On this record titled Vexillology, he blends the contemporary electronic bass sound with the polyrhythms of the spiritual gnawa music of the Maghreb, Sufi singing, and Berber folk from the deserts of North and West Africa.
The elements of traditional music used on this album are in the form of field recordings. "When you use a studio to record, you won't find the real emotion that you would find in a natural environment or situation,” explains the artist. “Tribal music from Africa is a social practice, it must be played in a certain place, in a certain special moment, and in the right environment. It's not something that can be 'recreated' in a studio. So for me, capturing these moments when they are actually happening is so important, because that's the only way you can encapsulate the real rhythm of their practice."
Guedra Guedra is an alias of Abdellah M. Hassak from Casablanca. His name derives from the trance ritual dance guedra, performed by women of one of the Berber nations—nomadic Tuaregs.
Read more on the website.
