ABSTRACT

My introduction to the Gnawa brotherhood came about in what may (fittingly) be termed an “unorthodox” fashion. Between my college days and graduate school career, I spent the 2005–2006 academic year living in the medīna qdīma (the oldest section of the traditional walled city) of Fez, Morocco. 1 A visiting colleague—in town for short-term research—stayed at my home and experienced a sudden epileptic seizure in the middle of the night. The streets of the old city are far too narrow to accommodate any automobiles, much less an ambulance—leaving my housemates unsure of precisely what should be done. We ultimately decided to call upon our next-door neighbors, a Saharan family who had warmly welcomed us, treating our group as members of their own family. Karim and Ali 2 —two of the older brothers—were eager to help and responded immediately; hopping out of bed, they threw on outerwear and came directly to the house.