Khamlia

Khamlia is a small village of dark-earth houses in the sand south of Merzouga, and its population descends from people brought north across the Sahara from the Sahel, largely Bambara, in the centuries of the trans-Saharan trade - a history that is present across Morocco and rarely stated plainly. What the village is known for is the music: gnawa, the tradition that came with those communities, in which iron qraqeb castanets, a large tbel drum and the three-stringed guembri accompany singing that is at once entertainment and, in its full ceremonial form, a healing practice, the lila, in which spirits are addressed through colour, incense and possession. Groups in Khamlia perform for visitors through the day - a short, honest, non-ceremonial version - and explain what the instruments and rhythms do. It is one of the few places to hear it without a festival stage between you and it.

What you actually see

• A Sahelian-descended village - families brought north across the Sahara in the trade centuries.
• Gnawa instruments - qraqeb, tbel and the three-stringed guembri.
• Daily performances - short non-ceremonial sets played and explained for visitors.
• The ceremonial context - the lila as a healing rite, described rather than performed.

When to go

October to April. Two hours, usually as part of a Merzouga stay.

Honest expectations

What visitors see is a short performance, not the ceremony - the lila is not a show and is not performed for tourists. Donations and CD sales are how it is funded and are expected. Groups vary in quality. Summer heat here is extreme.

Nearby

Merzouga and Erg Chebbi are north; Taouz is south.