Maâlem Boubker Guinea

بوبكر كينيا (Known as "Boubker Guinea")

Gnawa Patriarch of Essaouira, Guembri Master

Born c. 1920

Essaouira (Mogador), Morocco

Passed Away 1993 Essaouira, Morocco

Lifespan 73 years old

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Notice / Correction

"From the hollowed wood of the guembri rises the ancestral prayer of the diaspora."

Archival Overview

Patriarch of Essaouira's greatest Gnawa musical dynasty, master of the guembri and the sacred Lila ceremonies who trained sons Mahmoud, Mokhtar, and Abdellah into world-renowned musicians.

Biographical Record

Maâlem Boubker Guinea descended from West African ancestors brought to Essaouira in centuries past. As the supreme spiritual and musical leader (Maâlem) of the Zawiya Sidna Bilal in Essaouira, his guembri playing was legendary for its deep acoustic resonance and hypnotic polyrhythms.

He educated an entire generation of Gnawa musicians, including his famous sons Mahmoud Guinea and Mokhtar Guinea, establishing Essaouira as the undisputed world capital of Gnawa music and culture.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Essaouira Muslim Cemetery (Bab Doukkala)
Essaouira, Morocco

                         GPS: 31.5150, -9.7650                    

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