By Ziad Nawfal

I had the privilege of attending the first rehearsal between iconic jazz dignitary Yusef Lateef and Muallem Abdelkebir Merchane’s energetic Gnawa troupe. Along with the six Moroccan musicians, we drove to the University City Hall venue, a grandiose theater hall situated on Sharjah University’s grounds. This was literally the first time that these musicians had come in contact with the aging American saxophone and flute player. They did not seem too wary, though, and greeted him with jovial camaraderie. As for Lateef, he still cuts an impressive, imposing figure despite his advanced age (he is turning 91 this coming October), and responded to the younger musicians with equal warmth.

A pre-recorded, electronics-laden loop is played, over which Lateef sings and plays a slow blues on the piano. The Moroccan lads joined in, with Muallem Abdelkebir leading the proceedings on sinter and vocals. The sinter, or gimbri, is a three-stringed plucked lute generally used by the Gnawa people. It is the size of a guitar, with a body carved from a log and covered on the playing side with camel skin. It produces a hollow, percussive sound similar to that of a double bass. The other five men (including the Muallem’s son, Hisham) are holding “qaraqeeb”, metallic instruments which are the primary rhythmic component of Gnawa music. They play these castanet-like devices, stomp on the floor in unison to create a percussive effect, sing along with Merchane, and of course take turns in dancing at the front of the stage.

At first, Lateef and the Gnawas seem to be having a hard time finding common musical grounds and areas of recoupment. There is much joining in at the wrong time and not being able to find the proper momentum. In very little time, however, these problems are resolved, and a structure for the duet performance is found: Lateef will open the show with a solo piano piece and his particular, haunting singing; the Gnawas will enter the stage with a drum and Gnawa performance; Lateef will then join them in improvisation on saxophone and various flutes; this will be followed, finally, with a duet performance of Lateef on flute and Merchane on sinter.

Abdelkebir Merchane and his boys are used to collaborating with jazz musicians, as they have played in the past with Pharoah Sanders, a prominent American saxophone player, who was featured on some of John Coltrane’s more experimental releases. As for Yusef Lateef, his impressive mastery of his art does not seem to have diminished with the passing of time. This should be a tremendously interesting performance to watch.

Yusef Lateef and Muallem Abdelkebir Merchane’s concert is scheduled for Thursday 17 March at 10pm, on the stage of Beit el Shamsi.