Al Majmaâ

Laurent Blondiau Bugle, trumpet
Michel Massot Trombone, tuba
Baba Sissoko Chant, talking drum
Otti Van Der Werf Bass
Jeroen Van Herzeele Tenor saxophone
Jean-Yves Evrard Guitar
Eric Thielemans Drums

About

Trumpeter and leader of the Mâäk's Spirit sextet, Laurent Blondiau first discovered Gnawa music on a trip to Morocco, where he met one of the most eminent Maâlems (master musicians), Abdelmajid Domnati and his group Gnawa Express. Early 2003, a residency in Brussels enabled the two groups of artists to work on a joint project. The twin-sided compositions favoured spontaneity, improvisation and the search for new musical colours. They then invited Baba Sissoko, a Malian master musician they met for the project "Anye Ben Kafo" (Africalia 2003), to join them. This led to a number of concerts in Belgium and abroad (Gaume and Middelheim jazz festivals, concerts in Brussels and France).

Määk's Spirit? A certain openness to different inspirations, to forms, rhythms, to the greatest possible freedom for musicians. This makes the group surprising through its endless spontaneity and aptitude to feel what is growing and happily develop it. Music that is prodigiously free and bewitching, from a group that now consists of six musicians with powerful personalities and varied backgrounds (Greetings from Mercury, Rêve d'Eléphant Orchestra, Octurn, Baby Boom, Tous Dehors, Dreamtime, Aka Moon, le Gros Cube, etc.).

Gnawa Express? One of the best-known gnawa combos in Morocco. The Gnawas of Morocco now form a brotherhood, celebrating a ritual that is musical, an initiation and a therapy at the same time. The goal is to bring balance to the body's fundamental energy. To dialogue with the invisible and align themselves with the genies, Gnawa undertake the "journey" of the lila: a ceremony whose steps are punctuated by blood, sugar, laughter, ecstasy, colours, aromas, dance, fury, playing and drama.