Guitar and Gimbri – Lifting Spirits (Opening Night)

Join us for Afrika Eye’s legendary opening night party showcasing a new and exciting UK based collaboration between guitar maestro Justin Adams & Moroccan Gnawa master Mohammed Errebbaa.

From Adams’ work with Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart to collaborations with Robert Plant, Tinariwen, Rachid Taha, and Juldeh Camara, his connection with the trance music of North Africa has always been an integral part of his sound.

This new project sees him team up with Errebbaa, who began performing with traditional Sufi brotherhoods in Rabat, Morocco at the age of ten, and received the title of Maalem,(master of the Gnawa tradition) at the age of 28, after working with many of the great Gnawa players such as Maalem Moktar Gania.

On drums, they are joined by Dave Smith, who worked with Adams in the classic Juju “In Trance “ line-up, as well as Robert Plant’s Sensational Space Shifters, and has his own project Fofoulah, mixing Senegalese polyrhythm with Jazz fire and Electronica.

On Moroccan percussion, Idriss Yamdah completes the line-up, a Gnawa adept from Agadir.

Their live set will harness the deep trance power of the Gnawa repertoire as well as drawing from Adams’ back catalogue, and showcasing new material, bringing elements of desert blues and heavy groove to lift the spirits and dance.