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Description
Jilala music is the ritual music associated with the Moroccan Jilala (also spelled Jilali) Sufi order.
It is most widely heard in healing and spirit-possession (trance) ceremonies, where repetitive rhythms and cyclical melodic phrases are used to induce altered states.
Performances are typically communal and functional rather than concert-oriented, emphasizing continuity, invocation, and gradual intensification.
The style is closely tied to devotional practice: lyrics often invoke saints (notably Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani), spiritual lineages, and the seeking of protection and healing.
Sources: Spotify, Wikipedia, Discogs, Rate Your Music, MusicBrainz, and other online sources
History
Jilala music grew from Moroccan Sufi devotional practice, where sung invocations and drumming accompany communal rites.
It is linked to the Jilala/Jilali brotherhood, whose ceremonies are known for trance-based healing and spiritual intercession.
Across the 1900s, the music continued primarily as a lived, community-based practice rather than a commercial genre.
Its role in healing rites reinforced stable musical structures: steady ostinati, call-and-response singing, and long-form repetition designed to sustain trance.
In recent decades, Jilala repertoires and aesthetics have occasionally appeared on festival stages and in recordings as part of broader interest in Moroccan ritual musics.
Even when presented publicly, the music remains strongly identified with its ceremonial purpose and the spiritual authority of the order.
