Long neck lute with three strings

This three-string plucked long-necked lute is a so-called 'inner skewer lute': the neck runs through the wooden sound box almost to the other end. The nylon strings run from the tuning pins over a comb to the end of the skewer, which is notched in the shape of a fork with teeth, to which the strings are attached. This is visible because a hole in the baffle is made of leather.

This instrument is part of the Gnawa music. Gnawa is the music of a black population in Morocco. Most of them are descendants of the slaves brought to Morocco by various Moroccan monarchs from the sub-Saharan countries. It is also believed that the black populations, especially in the South, are part of the original inhabitants of Morocco and not all of them were brought from Africa as slaves (info Mohammed Saadouni, 2004). In addition to being a music style, gnawa music is characterized by its rituals, such as the third ba (trance) that takes place on a given night (leila), invoking spirits and saints (Mloek) while playing the music.

Gnawa music is strongly linked to the Islamic faith. For example, the members of the Gnawa brotherhood worship a common saint, Sidna Bilal. This was a black companion of the Prophet Mohammed and the first caller of prayer (muezzin) in Islamic history. In addition, numerous marabuts and clergy (Mloek) are worshiped, these may be associated with the Islamic faith or with the African culture (such as the Bambara culture from Mali).