Asmaa Hamzaoui, born in 1998 in Casablanca, is a pioneering Moroccan Gnawa musician and singer. As the daughter of esteemed Maâlem Rachid Hamzaoui, she began playing the guembri—a traditional three-stringed lute—at the age of six, mastering it by nine. In 2012, she founded Bnat Timbouktou, an all-female ensemble that challenges the male-dominated Gnawa tradition. Their music blends traditional desert blues with powerful messages on nature, spirit, and equality, sung in the Gnawa language. Their debut album, "Oulad Lghaba" (2019), received international acclaim and a Songlines Music Award nomination. The follow-up album, "L'Bnat" (2024), focuses on female traditions and spirits within Gnawa culture. Asmaa and her group have performed at renowned festivals worldwide, including Roskilde, WOMAD, and the Essaouira Gnaoua Festival, solidifying her status as a leading female voice in Gnawa music. ([asmaahamzaouibnattimbouktou.bandcamp.com](https://asmaahamzaouibnattimbouktou.bandcamp.com/?utm_source=openai))