HASSAN
HAKMOUN

Hassan Hakmoun (born September 16, 1963) is a Moroccan-American musician recognized as a global ambassador of Gnawa music — a traditional spiritual and rhythmic genre of the descendants of West African slaves brought to North Africa.

Born into a family of musicians in Marrakech, Hassan was introduced to the spiritual world of the Gnawa by his mother, a noted mystic healer who organized derdeba — all-night trance ceremonies. He began studying tagnawit (Gnawa arts) at age seven under masters like Hmida Boussou.

He chose the sintir — a three-stringed bass lute with a body made of camel skin stretched over nut wood — as his primary instrument. By age 14, he was recognized as a m'allem (master musician) and began leading his own ensemble for all-night trance rituals.

In 1987, Hakmoun made his U.S. debut at Lincoln Center in New York City. The experience was so positive that he decided to stay. He subsequently relocated to New York where he was received by artists such as composer Richard Horowitz and Peter Gabriel.

He became a fixture in New York's rock, jazz and fusion scenes, forming the group Zahar (meaning “luck”) whose music fused elements of rock and jazz with African styles. His participation in WOMAD and collaborations with the Kronos Quartet brought him further international recognition.

Hakmoun has also composed and recorded for several films includingRendezvous in Samarkand, The Past and the Present of Djemma El Fna, and the documentary Footsteps in Africa. He appeared in Disney'sJungle 2 Jungle (1997) and Rollerball (2002).