What is "gnawa"

The Gnawa (or Gnaoua, Ghanawa, Ghanawi, Gnawi) people originated from West Africa; to be precise the ancient Ghana Empire of Ouagadougou (present day Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Burkino Faso and 85% of Mali (pre Gnawi/Mali Wars)).

This name Gnawa had probably originated in the indigenous language of North Africa and the Sahara Desert - the Berber language or Tamazight. The phonology of this term according to the grammatical principles of Berber is as follows: agnaw (singular), ignawen (plural).

The Gnawa are an ethnic group whom, with the passing of time became a part of the Sufi order in Maghreb.