Krakebs – Critically Important to Gnawan Music

Krakebs are large heavy metal percussive castanets that serve as the all important rhythmic underpinning to Morocco’s and Algeria’s Gnawa music. And though they are considered to be a hypnotic instrument, practitioners of the Gnawa music as a healing tool, are oftened engulfed in a trance-like state. Passsing listeners might find them exciting and a cause for energetic dancing. After multiple visits to Morocco, I purchased a pair and readily discovered that they require more physical energy to negotiate than I first thought. Their sound is fuller, deeper and quite different from most castanets used around the world. It’s nice that they haven’t as of yet been mass produced. Most are still fashioned and sold in Marrakech.