Michael League | Gimbri: Grandfather of the Bass? | Thomann

[@the_13ct70]

I came from a family with multiple deep Gnawa heritage and i can tell you this : You nailed it ! You are in the good way , yes you told that you still a student but trust me you are in the good way Very constructive knowledge for the world ! Hope see you again in Essaouira Gnawa festival in the future 👏👏👏🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🎸🎸

[@andreasnordin9023]

Julia is ALWAYS prepared like a true pro. More Julia 4 the People!

[@mostyles328]

Julia could make a career out of interviewing musicians. She asks great questions, lets them talk and stays interestingly engaged…. Bravo!

[@alaskandar]

Thomann PLEASE SHIP to Morocco !!! 🇲🇦 We love our Gembris but we need other stuff to make music 😅

[@Caligari...]

Thank you very much for going outside of the box . I love this music !

[@Mr.Nabil.Belhaj]

Oh yes the Moroccan guimbri, the official gnawa instrument 👍🏻 If you listen carefully to some jimi Hendrix tunes, you can sort of hear the influence this genre of music gave him when he first visited "El sawira city" in morocco

[@oliverposchmannsbassguitar758]

We all remain being students throughout our entire lives. Today I learned a lot again. Thank you for the opportunity and for this wonderful interview, Julia

[@mandalorthedeaf1237]

Absolutely love this. Michael is a great guy and is really passionate about this instrument and the history behind it. Please make more videos like this where you show "exotic" traditional instruments.

[@rasmusn.e.m1064]

It's like a big fat friendly banjo. I feel like I already owe it a hug every time I hear it :)

[@itsthe773guero5]

i have never heard of this gimbri instrument. it is deep sounding but really is high tone so amazing! thank you julia!!!

[@aimanjadir9787]

Gnawa are medicine. And so as bass haha a very spiritual instrument indeed, largely found in my region in North Africa, and that’s true it’s played in pentatonic scales since it’s been discovered man the world is very small this music has been carried to the United States on boats with those people singing to wash away the pain and using shackles as qraqeb « the cuivre instrument with high frequency » if you listen to blues you will find a lot of gnawa in it. Sending you all the love vibes from morocco 🇲🇦 may your life be full of love and bass and melodies. ❤️🙏🏽 Ps : we headbang to this music as well, little moshpit in the living room. 😂

[@Khmissa]

Gimbri will now be available at thomann stores

[@charlescabellon]

Michael has a League of his own.🎸😍

[@PooNinja]

I’m in a healing trance watching this.

[@MOHAMEDERREBBAA]

Thanks Micheal for introducing the Guembri and Gnawa music to the audience,will be great to meet you one day ,I am Guembri player based in the Uk.much love ❤️ good luck ,Saha🙏🏽

Big up to Michael League for sharing some much of this experience with so much respect for the Gnawa culture!

[@j.d.b.4683]

Marcus played one of the on his album Afrodeezia a few years ago. The song is B's River. Pretty cool song! Julia, Marcus and Michael! Great trio!

[@ArtVandalay666]

Damn, there is a Zawinul Syndicate song I have always loved called 'Louange' off the Vienna Nights live album but I could never place the instrument that plays the melody. After watching this video I feel like it's got to be a gimbri. So cool.

[@karitaura2614]

Great discussion and very interesting information. I'm looking forward to a Michael League book: Gnawa Gimbri lines for the Electric Bass - with backing tracks to play with!

[@markanthony5897]

really good to see ML. he has been in my heart and on my mind.

[@matto9734]

What a great interview Julia did with Michael. I like him so much for having moved to Spain and diving into (north) African music too. I really like the music of Bokanté too.

[@danadane2501]

Great interview , learned a lot of pieces of history and technique I wasn't aware of before . He's obviously passionate about his work / art !

[@danielweinfurtner]

Such a cool interview. Very insightful. I learned a lot!

[@josephhughes9490]

Julia is not only a amazingly talented bassist but she also can play bass while riding a unicycle . No joke! There's video on KZbin. Julia I just love ya like crazy. Austrian amazing! Bass is beautiful.

[@hagegesamuel]

Really?! I play bass and harmonica and ride a unicycle too! I never tried playing bass on it. Harmonica yes of course :)

[@jeffroberts_tunes]

OK folks I"m going to stop you at 2:30 and search Spotify for Gnawa. Hmmm found it. Damn...I'll get back to you in bit...

[@Neuri]

I have learned so much from Michael.

[@brandonmarti4476]

Yes! I've been waiting for this Sense the last video! Lol

[@jarrettpelzel9912]

Best advertisement I’ve ever been recommended!

[@danadane2501]

Julia has a really pretty voice . I wonder if she sings on top of playing bass ?

[@ahmedmaa4380]

Gembri is a magic instrument!!!

[@hasname4885]

Great video, thanks for sharing with us :)

[@FunkSoulBruddler]

Did I just see you on German TV, the band in the studio of the Sportschau - Italy vs. Spain?? 😀

[@joshuabrice3800]

We should do that from now on!

[@khalildjemouai6871]

I’ m proud as an Algerian to see the influence of this instrument on an other genras historically, especially played by one of my favourite bass players, in a show hosted by Julia 🤩

[@nordenrhazali2696]

Gnawa is moroccan friend.

[@khalildjemouai6871]

@@nordenrhazali2696 No, it's north african، originaly from soudan, go back and read thé history of african music.

[@badreddineelfiche3056]

​@@khalildjemouai6871 gnawa is moroccan wtf are you talking about

[@badreddineelfiche3056]

​@@khalildjemouai6871 brought to Morocco from sub-Saharan Africa not north africa

[@badreddineelfiche3056]

​@@khalildjemouai6871 😂😂😂 UNESCO Lists Moroccan Gnawa as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity gnawa is moroccan only calm down hhhh correct your informations

[@benmaguire4098]

Miss you playing bass yourself .. But I really like the interviews & the chance to learn about music I never heard of B4 .

[@bacicinvatteneaca]

The gimbri is also a descendant of the ngoni, a relative of the akontir, the ancestor of the banjo. In fact, many gimbri to this day have the short treble drone string on top. Also, the concept of a high percussive drone is also found in the irish bouzouki, which was developed from the greek bouzouki by a musical culture that had access to banjos (through american influence), although in that case it's a non-reentrant tuning and the strings are all the same length and all fingered. As for being the ancestor of the electric bass, that may be true in role (and even then not really, the gimbri is closer to a 3oud in function within its music) but there clearly isn't any direct line, since the electric bass is a mix of upright bowed bass and guitar, and the upright bowed bass is itself a mix of violin and viola da gamba families (fretless and high tension like the violin, by fourths and with low shoulders like the viola da gambe)

[@clausm2203]

Great interview

[@manlioyllades]

When Michael played "Hamuda" (hope I spelled it right) it sounded a lot like some Cuban bassists. Once I saw Cachao live and what he was playing was pretty similar. If you don't know who Cachao was you MUST listen to him!

[@martintaylor1701]

I actually have one, bought in Morocco, supposedly from the same shop Robert Plant bought some instruments, but who knows if that's true - cool instrument though, not that I really know how to play it.

[@Mouad_Agh]

Essaouira Morocco ❤

[@benmaguire4098]

Michael seems like a really nice guy .

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hi Ben, yes he is! :-) // Cheers, Julia

[@bimscutney1242]

Holy Geezer Butler! That was rad.

[@mimouli]

We call it "Hajhuj" it modtly is used in Gnawi musicians that we call Gnawa

[@nicobass4099]

Interesting a lot

[@HZZKN]

Does anybody have some recommendations for Gnawa music? Like a Top 5 of things(albums or tracks) to listen to?

[@croula]

So impressive coming from a western dude. So digging it

[@dougsours1]

just curious , what kind of pickup do you use for this instrument?

[@bassist789]

REMEMBER: ALL MUSIC IS THE SAME. LISTEN CLOSELY AND FOR LONG ENOUGH AND IT WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY OBVIOUS!!!! EDIT: THIS IS A GOOD THING!

[@ZeuzBluez]

Luv tagnawit (gnawa) I usually play it on guitar bass strings tuned to dgd. Hope thormann start selling gimbris si I can order one.

[@philipmcadam5339]

Lesser Artists borrow, great Artists steal - Pablo Picasso

[@philipmcadam5339]

Be great.

[@Khmissa]

Saha 💙

[@kirkbolas4985]

What I knew prior to this video hosted by Julia (and her expert skills as an interviewer) with Michael as a most engaging guest: I was vaguely aware of a stringed, melodic bass instrument used in certain North African folk music. I was told it was called a Sintir, a member of the Lute family. That was the extent of my knowledge. What I learned: Apparently the Gimbri is another name for the Sintir and it’s used in traditional Gnawa music, a genre I’d never heard of before. It’s made of wood, camel hide and genuine animal gut strings along with some functional metal furniture. It performs three, separate and distinct roles simultaneously in the hands of a skilled player. It’s played both with a grooving accompaniment and in unison with the sole vocalist (depending on the part of the song performed at the moment); it’s accompanied by only one other instrument, a metallic castanet-like instrument (that I did know about), that I know as the Garageb. I didn’t know how or where the Garageb was utilized until now. There’s more I learned but these are the highlights. Thank you Julia and Micheal. One question, with some background context: It’s a fretless instrument, so it’s not necessarily predetermined as to the intervallic sensibilities of the playable notes. Most of what I heard Michael playing seemed fairly Western, with the 12 note diatonic base and a 7-note, major scale set of intervals. I did pick up on the microtonal aspects and would have not known this was deliberate unless Michael had indicated as such. Was Micheal deliberately playing with a familiar set of Western sounding intervals for us or is the traditional Gnawa music intervallic set that close to the Western system, whether it has just naturally developed that way or having been influenced** by European music? **The influence I’m thinking of is when the Moors (from Morocco) and Spaniards/Portuguese, somewhat peacefully, coinhabited the Iberian peninsula up until about five or six centuries ago. Michael’s brother, being an ethnomusicologist, might have the answer to my question.

[@Jasper_4444]

Interesting question! My guess would be the answer is a bit of each of those.

[@shockandaweawakentheworld1910]

Nice! I still use an acoustic 5 string which sounds best to me. No picks are how it should always be taught and played

[@boldsquid8940]

Is that the same instrument at the start of downgrade desert by Igorr?

[@konstantinosmparmpounis6464]

I don't know but isn't that supposed to be middle eastern

[@boldsquid8940]

@@konstantinosmparmpounis6464 Interesting

[@joaopedromarri6410]

Julia 4 the people

[@amineel-harty4547]

Saha koyo

[@whatwouldgdonowgvkpierce6879]

Nice J thx

[@zdude335]

Just saw you on ard Sportschau. How cool is that 🤘🎸

[@fidelbene7730]

Yeah, me too! Congrats on the gig

[@reizo20]

Me too. Never expected to see you there. Glückwunsch!

[@charleslehmann1]

Hello! If you want to hear this instrument played by a musician from Essaouira, check this on YT: BANIYA - Mohamed Khabba Trio

[@kwyatt261]

The sintir seems to be much more akin to a banjo than a bass, which makes sense seeing as the banjo came from Africa

[@thetomster7625]

I think the appropriation discussion in art is a bit over complicated... to me its simple: you experience something, its resonates with you, it inspires you and you will - to some degree - include into your own art. And since you are telling stories anyway, you can just be completely open, where you have it from: Give the credit. Its only really stealing if either it becomes your whole act or if you pretend it was your invention. everything else is just a shared and collaborative forward movement and in same way only art is capable of. oh and btw: what a lovely instrument - I first heard it played by Marcus Miller in Montreux - Bs River :)

[@johnviolette5511]

Julia, this is not the right place to post but I just watched both Earth Wind and Fire videos and you are such a fantastic player. But how do you learn these songs so quickly and how do you remember them?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hi John, most of the time I learn the bass lines by ear :) // Cheers, Julia

[@johnviolette5511]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses that's awesome. I'm lucky if I get the root notes and a few colorful licks every now and then.

[@Izar_Sirius]

The gimbri exists in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia

[@badreddineelfiche3056]

Nope its moroccan istrument used in moroccan gnawa

[@badreddineelfiche3056]

Even if he is in Algeria, he is originally from Morocco

[@firashebili]

didn't you find someone from Gnawa? the guy doesn't represent Gnawa even though he plays, just as a matter of recognition to the music genre, imagine I talk to an american about Spanish music... respect though

[@tomlane6324]

I wish I knew where I could get a gimbri, I’ve been in love with the sound since cowboy bebop’s ost musawe

[@9856359]

20:29 this is capeverdean batuku!

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

Ok so, if I take this to a luthier, how low can he get the action on one of these beauties? Because I'm forming this Russian funk band and my costume is a voodoo witch Doctor, I'm goinh to be called Dr Zulu Phonk, I've written my the 1st song called " get down power to the brothers of funk the man cant hold me down im funktastic" and I've decided on one of these over a Hofner! Also do they come with pick ups? Can I put a seymour duncan in it and what tunners would you recommend I was thinking some Schallers.

[@desecration171]

Nice job on the origin story. You usually have to beat the correct information out of people about how something changed from Point A to B due to wars, colonization, migration, or integration.

[@dennisojohnson]

I believe that music is original to Africa . That make me believe also, that the Garden of Eden must also be in Africa .

[@lars5174]

That tuning sounds like a part of the instrumental part in "Autobahn" by Kraftwerk.

[@Lectric_Blue]

Why don't we use music to help cure sick people in our western cultures? Music has the power to get through to a person's inner self, to their soul. It lifts your mood, it makes you feel better, it's a positive force for good. We all know this instinctively, we feel it at concerts. It is music making us feel good. I have seen the change music can make to a room full of dementia sufferers when tambourines and triangles are handed out. When the music starts it awakens something inside them, they join in. It lifts their mood. It's a real tangible thing. We should use music in hospitals to help relieve stress and anxiety and to promote quicker healing.

[@fusionistaaaa]

Interesting interview Julia. Michael caught the essence of the guimbri and explains very well. Currently in gnawa land, it inspired me to resample your interview kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4rXan6nnamNnKc and make it a 3 part gnawa trance song. First with acoustic samples, then finding the link with samba before getting into the trance. What do you think?

[@JTPrime08]

Noice😂👍🏾👌🏾

[@moussaoukazi7238]

It’s not sentir guys it’s guimbri :)

[@aniszaghouani4320]

the third name of this instrument is the ..hajhouj..

[@szrnkabela]

Research topic for Davie504 around the world

[@sterngaz7319]

It's Marroccan grounds

[@AtoZBestProducts]

Gambri gnaws you are welcome

[@nordenrhazali2696]

Gnawa is purely moroccan, nothing to have with algeria. Yes, they play it, but it is originated from morocco.

[@BenTrem42]

...which also is where banjo comes from. yoiks

[@stoatystoat174]

:)

[@adlafiadlafi3425]

Better than playing ganbri abd Rahman baco team al ghiawan

[@montycline9840]

That was really cold to watch in here. Thank you both for your time but put not together.

[@jiloune0]

Moroccan not algerian, Gnawa music with guelbri exist only in Morocco 👍♥️🌹🇲🇦

[@strat0871]

Davie 504 would say:" Epic !.. but- this- is- not- B A S S, ..SLAP !

[@szrnkabela]

Actually, Michael is slappin the i strument the whole time!

[@jimkiousis]

😶🙃

[@jpseph5471]

think homie is on acid

[@SinnGread]

they ought to be interviewing Julia instead ... she is way more interesting and less smug