Jilala | en

The Jilala is an order of dervish musicians known for their practice of trance dancing and spiritual healing. They are called upon to exorcise evil spirits and to purify the heart. The Jilala are particularly useful in curing cases of epilepsy and hysteria, controlling the spirits or demons in possession of the subject through their music and the ritualized gestures of the dance. But mainly the dances are dances of exaltation. At the very peak of intensity special acts are done as part of the dance. Slashing arms and legs with sharp knives, or laying down hard with a heavy...

Jil Jilala (جيل جيلالة) is a Moroccan musical group which rose to prominence in the 70s among the movement created by Nass El Ghiwane. Contrary to Nass El Ghiware, who were primarily influenced by Gnawa, Jil Jilala took their inspiration from other forms of traditional Moroccan music like the ''Malhun'', sung in a classical and old form of Moroccan Arabic, or the spiritual music of Jilala a traditional sufi brotherhood. The goal of these groups was the rejuvenation of traditional Moroccan music. One of their best known songs is ''Chamaa'' a traditional malhum song they have sung their own way....