On December 12, 2019, the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) adopted traditional Gnaoua Music into its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH) list.
Gnaoua music is the spiritual and religious music of North Africa that mixes classical Islamic Sufism with pre-Islamic African traditions. In Morocco, Gnaoua music has made its mark for the preceding twenty-three years with the annual Gnaoua Festival which takes place in the port town of Essaouira. Gnaoua music is also performed at Moroccan weddings and on other celebratory occasions.
The main instrument of Gnaoua music is the Krabkeb, large heavy iron castanets. Historically, the Qraqab was a “Shackle worn by slaves so they couldn’t escape,” said Madonna in her newest music video “Come Alive. The sound the Qraqab makes represents the sound of horse’s hooves hitting the ground, slaves being carried away in grain sacks, and the rattling of shackles. Turning their pain into strength, they used the metals to make music upon escaping.
Every spring a Gnaoua music festival takes place in Essaouira, Morocco.