Bab L’ Bluz – “Swaken” (Released 10th May 2024)

Description

//Real World//

£25.99 – 1xLP, Limited Edition Coloured Vinyl (plus DL Code)

Musically forthright, ‘Swaken’ takes the blueprint forged on ‘Nayda!’ and expands it to deliver eleven powerful slices of psychedelic Gnawa blues, full of intelligence, emotion and visceral energy.

‘Swaken’, in Darija meaning ‘possession,’ evolves to describe spirits haunting humans. Sometimes associated with a transcendent musical experience, it implies a deep connection with music, surpassing simple ‘trance’ with highly agitated body movements. In chaabi music, swaken goes beyond our dimension, potentially leading to the loss of control over the body and mind, delving into a depth similar to the lilas of the gnaoua (a ceremony of song, music, dance, costume and incense that takes place over the course of an entire night ending at dawn).

Tracklisting: