An unexpected collaboration linking a French-based Afrobeat band with a Moroccan maâlem, a master of gnawa – the religious trance music of the descendants of African slaves transported across the Sahara to North Africa. Fanga and Maâlem Abdallah Guinéa first played together in France in 2011, and discovered how much they have in common; their lengthy songs are dominated by a hypnotic blend of rhythm and groove, in a fusion in which Afrobeat funk and jazz is combined with gnawa. There are times where the Afrobeat dominates, but it's always driven on by delicate and insistant percussion, while other songs start with gnawa call-and-response vocals and the gimbri lute, before the brass and keyboards join in.

Fanga:
A meeting of complementary personalities and cross-cultural energy, Fanga began to take shape in 1998, as hip-hop producer Serge Amiano returned to France from a trip to Africa with a selection of West African vinyl from the 60s and 70s. The nascent band, including Burkina Fasso-born rapper Korbo on vocals, worked with Tony Allen on his album Black Voices in 2000, and began releasing its own recordings in 2001. Acclaimed by tastemakers like Gilles Peterson, Wax Poetics, and Rich Medina, the band has built a global following based on a dynamite live show, socially conscious lyrics, and an ever-evolving interpretation of classic Afrobeat and Highlife sounds.

Maâlem Abdallah Guinéa:
Descended from a renowned family of artists (his father, Boubker Guinéa, is considered as one of Morocco's greatest of all maâlems) Abdellah Guinéa began playing the gimbri at age 12, and became a full maâlem and master musician at age 16. Along with his band, Nasse Ejadba, he quickly developed his own musical style, somewhere between traditional and modern Gnawa, which he calls "Fusion Trance." As well as gimbri, Guinéa plays guitar, banjo and mandolin and has continued the progression of his music by introducing Western sounds into the mix, effortlessly building a cultural bridge between different musical styles. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.