Hassan Hakmoun

Hassan Hakmoun, born September 16, 1963, in Morocco, is a Moroccan musician specializing in Gnawa music. Introduced to music by his family at an early age, he began performing with great masters of the genre by age four and became a Master of Gnawa music by the age of fourteen. Hakmoun made his U.S. debut in 1987 at Lincoln Center in New York City and subsequently relocated there. He joined Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD in 1992, recording Trance, which was released in 1993 and topped various world music charts. Hakmoun's albums were selected by Rolling Stone as one of the "Hot Picks of ’94." In 2003, his album The Gift received an INDIE award for "Best Contemporary World Music Recording" from the Association for Independent Music.