The six Sudani brothers – Allal, M’Barek, Azuz, Hamza, Najib & Bujmaa – are the sons of M’allim Hajub “Gubani” Sudani, who died in 1997. What follows is an interview with M’allim Gubani by Abdelkabir Namir and published in the newspaper Le Matin on June 4, 1998.
Premier Festival international de la culture des Gnaoua
Réminiscences
Homage to M’allin Gubani, Gnawi master of Essaouira
The First international Festival of the culture of the Gnawa will take place in Essaouira this coming June 5 – 7. On the program of this noteworthy presentation is a lila in memory of Hajub Gubani: one of the old Gnawa masters of Essaouira.
This lila of derderba (a night organized for the possesion ceremony specific to the Gnawa) will be conducted by one of the last elder Ma’llimin of that generation, Boubker Guinea, in the company of the younger Allal Sudani, the eldest son of Gubani, and two other Ma’llimin (Abdellatif Makhzumi and Brahim Balkani, both of Marrakech) who will equally take part in the ceremony. Also taking conspicuous part in this homage to the master will be the associated clairvoyants of the Gnawa brotherhood. This article will present some previously unpublished oral history from the mouth of the sadly departed M’allim Hajub Gubani. This informal interview took place in November 1993, in the premises of Frédéric Damgaard at the skala of Essaouira.
M’allim Gubani relates:
“My father was named M’Barek and was a native of Chnafou in Sudan from where he was abducted and sold in the Sahara, while my mother was originally from Bamako in Mali… Me, I was born in Essaouira in 1923… Since 1985, I have been Moqadem of the zawia of the Gnawa. In 1987, I was designated as Moqadem of the taifa of the Gnawa of Essaouira… “
Indeed, his official papers, national card of identity and certificate accorded by the municipality and the competent authorities of religious affairs confirm his what he says.
“Between my friend M’allim Boubker Guinea and me, there are several differences in our how we play. Me, I’ve mastered only the marsawi style. Whereas Boubker also plays the gharbawi. One can easily note the differences between these two schools in the mastery of the instruments, the song repertoire, and the ritual. Me, I respect the traditions of the marsaoui more…
Nowadays times change so quickly and our customs with them. The true souiri Gnawa style does not exist any more. The true mastery of the notes has been lost. The young Jeddaba (dancers in trance) of today are not true adepts. There is no more Ahl Alhal like we had known in the past. It used to be that true m’allemin were afraid of these people of the Hal, these Jeddaba experts who would not tolerate any false notes in the execution of the music of their Mlouk… “
Master Gubani evokes, with emotion his difficult and happy youth in the labyrinths of the medina…
“We used to, my friend Boubker and I, play in the same group during our youth. One day, we decided to go separate ways during the moussem of Tameslohte… Each one of us kept his characteristic dkhira (provision in divine gift rabani) without which no success is possible… Back then, one played for scarcely any money. Each Gnawi had his trade: carpentry, masonry or another. During the lila or the feast days, people simply gave a symbolic ftouh (moderate amount of money) as they wished. One played our sacred music for pleasure and the Hal (the ecstatic psychological state of this ritual)…”
In connection with the construction of the zawia of the Gnawa of Essaouira, M’allim Gubani recalls:
“I knew Haj Abderrahmane Joua: father of Allal Joua after whom one of the lanes of the medina has always been named.
He owned seven black slaves whom he regarded as his own children. He taught them each one a trade. One of them, M’allim Salem became a mason who became recognized and acclaimed throughout the region. It was he who did the construction of the room of the current sanctuary of the Gnawa of Essaouira. Before this time, there had been in this place a simple m’zara (a ring of stones for cooking outdoors). Then, it was transformed into a wala (hut). On this site, M’allim Salem built our zawia.”
There has existed, probably in this same place (the current Casbah) since the 18th century, a cooking site where blacks (former slaves) would gather outside of the city as it had been constructed beginning in 1764 by Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah.
I end here, for the moment, my discussion with M’allim Hajub Gubani. To finish this article, I’ll offer a concrete example of an authentic document of interest for ethnographic study.
During one of our amicable evenings together, M’allim Hajub took out of his pocket an old photograph about which he started to comment:
“This photograph was taken about 1930. Here are the local French authorities in military uniforms… The white people in Jellabas are the representatives of the different religious brotherhoods of the city: the black that you see there, the first on the right, is my father M’Barek. He’s carrying the Gnawa flag.
The second holds up that of Jilala. The others carry the flags of the different zawia active in that period: Hamadcha, Aissawia, Regraga, Tuhama, R’ma, Ghazawa and the Taifa of Moulay Brahim…”
This invaluable document has been preserved by Frederic Damgaard who understood the immediately the historical value of this photograph. It is on exhibit today, in the company of other photographs, taken by Youssef Regragui, depicting the Gnawa of Essaouira during various occasions.
The exposition takes place in the old courthouse. The proceeds of its sales will go to the zawia of Gnaoua of the city.
By Abdelkabir Namir
Author of La Baraka de Regraga (Ed. Sefriou, Essaouira, 1996)
Original article printed in Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb, Thursday June 4, 1998.
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