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“The Sons of Bambara”: Sub-Saharan African Diasporas in North African Context with Dr. Maha MarouanPost an Event »

Museum of the African Diaspora

November 20 - November 20, 2011

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685 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94105
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Professor Maha Marouan will explore the complex origins of Gnawa, a Moroccan Muslim brotherhood, their religious practices, and the role they play in Morocco’s cultural politics. Their presence dates back to the Trans-Saharan slave trade that, from the 18th century till early 20th century, brought thousands of Sub-Saharan Africans to Morocco. Like the majority of Moroccans, Gnawa adhere to Sufi Islam, but place particular emphasis on music and trance. Many refer to themselves as “the sons of Bambara” and their music and ceremonies evoke Muslim saints as well as spirits of Fulani and Housa origins. Dr. Maha Marouan is assistant professor at the Gender and Race Studies department and the director of the African American Studies program at the University of Alabama. Her area of specialization is African and the African diaspora religions with a specific focus on gender. Her forthcoming book is entitled “Divine Interventions: African Diaspora Religions and Women Spirituality in Contemporary Women’s Fiction.” Dr. Marouan teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on African Diaspora Religions, Islam in Africa, Women and Religion, and Women in Islam. She spent the summers of 2010 and 2011 between Spain and Morocco conducting interviews with Moroccan women for her next book project entitled “Rethinking Islam through Moroccan Women’s Oral Narratives.” Dr. Marouan is the founder and chair of the African Diaspora Religion Group at the American Academy of Religion. Co-presented by Museum of the African Diaspora, the African Diaspora Consultation and the African Religions Group of the American Academy of Religion Free with MoAD Admission.