Asma El Hamzaoui

Asma El Hamzaoui
Asma Hamzaoui and Bnat Tombouktou in Stockholm in March 2020
Background information
Birth name	أسماء الحمزاوي
Born	1998 Casablanca, Morocco
Genres	Gnawa
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	2012 –

Asma El Hamzaoui (in Arabic: أسماء الحمزاوي, Casablanca, 1998)^[citation needed] is a Moroccan gnawa singer and musician. She is known to be Morocco's first female gnawa musician,[1] a genre that is traditionally reserved for male artists.[2][3]

In 2012, she launched her career by founding her musical group Bnat Timbouktou, where she plays sintir as well as sings.[4] Since then, she has participated in many international events across the world,[5][6] and collaborated with other artists, including Fatoumata Diawara.[7]

References

1. Meet Asmaa Hamzaoui, Morocco’s first female gnawa musician (The National)
2. Asmâa Hamzaoui and Bnat Timbouktu Make Gnawa Festival Debut – Morocco World News (2017)
3. Au festival gnaoua d’Essaouira, les femmes s’en mêlent – Les inrocks (2017) – in French
4. Asmaa Hamzaoui – The female Gnawa -Elaph Post (2018) – in Arabic.
5. Participation in a song celebrating Soudan's independence (2019)
6. Concert of Asma Hamzaoui in Stockholm, Sweden (2020)
7. Maroc – Gnaoua : Asmâa Hamzaoui… tel père, telle fille (in French)