Holland Festival Proms: Lila

Lila ritual

During the Holland Festival Proms, a nine-hour Lila ceremony will be performed at the Concertgebouw. Lila is a Sufi ritual from the Moroccan Gnawa culture, with music, dance, poetry and prayers. Lifted into a state of trance by the sweeping rhythms, the participants try to ban evil spirits and invoke the good ones. The intensity of the music is an overwhelming and unforgettable experience, for non-Sufis as well.

Gnawa refers to the religious culture of Sub-Saharan Africans, who were enslaved and taken to Morocco. There, their animist rituals were mixed with Sufi traditions and the country's Berber culture. There are several theories to explain the origins of the word Gnawa. According to one theory, it means deaf and dumb, because these migrants could not speak Berber. Another theory maintains that it refers to their dark skin compared to indigenous Moroccans. And a third theory says that it refers to the Kano region in the north of Nigeria.

In Gnawa religion, music plays a prominent role. As in many other Sufi traditions, the music during the Lila brings about a mystical trance experience. Usually, the ritual starts at the end of the day, continuing deep into the night. This is why the ritual is called Lila, which refers to the Arabic word 'lil', meaning night. According to Gnawa religion, the ceremony recreates the first sacrifice and the creation of the universe. Gnawa culture's Sub-Saharan roots are evident in the central role percussion plays. The sintir or gibri, a three-stringed long, rectangular plucked bass lute, lays down the melody. This instrument is usually played by the leader of the ritual, the Maalem. Symbolising the possessed, the sintir is used to summon the spirits. Another characteristic of the ritual is the use of krakebs, large iron castanets. The music at the Lila ritual is exhilarating and overpowering, often accompanied by ecstatic dancing and singing. For the lay viewer, the ritual might seem endlessly repititive, but in truth there's a constant flow of new mystic songs performed during the Lila.

The ceremony during the Holland Festival Proms will start at the Grote Zaal (Main Hall). Guided by the Gwana Maalem, the musicians and dancers will then move in procession to the Kleine Zaal (Recital Hall), where the audience are free to walk in and out during the performance.