Saha Gnawa live in New York

Experience Saha Gnawa live on August 1st

Saha Gnawa will perform at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on August 1, 2026. Saha Gnawa is a Moroccan musical ensemble dedicated to preserving and innovating within the tradition of Gnawa music. This style originates with formerly enslaved people of sub-Saharan African descent in Morocco, blending Islamic Sufi poetry and ritual practices with Berber musical traditions and West African rhythms. Characterized by call-and-response vocals, the use of *guembri* (a three-stringed lute), metal castanets (*qraqeb*), and percussion, Gnawa music serves both as spiritual practice and vibrant performance art. The ensemble, led by Hassan Hakmoun, is known for its dynamic live performances and collaborations across genres.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1962 as a major component of Robert Moses’ urban renewal projects. It comprises a complex of buildings housing multiple performance venues including David Geffen Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall), New York City Center, and the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival grounds.