Maâlem Abdellah Guinea
“the Marley”
- 📍
- Essaouira
- ·
- 1956–2013
AI illustration
Biography
Second son of Maâllem Boubker Guinea and brother of Mahmoud and Mokhtar; consecrated as maâlem at age 16. Maâlem of the Zaouïa of Sidna Bilal in Essaouira and undisputed master of its annual moussem. Nicknamed 'the Marley' for his dreadlocks and reggae inclination. Died on 21 March 2013 in Essaouira from kidney failure and acute pulmonary edema, after a week's hospitalisation; the libe.ma obituary noted he 'died in total destitution' despite his stature.
Documented tunings
Open-string tuning measured across multiple performances; cents values show the deviation from the tempered pitch of the named note.
Low extreme
msawi Abdellaoui
| zir | B1↓ | -30¢ |
| tahtiya | E2↓ | -20¢ |
| ntoi | B2↑ | +10¢ |
Sum's lowest documented tuning for Maâlem Abdallah. Used in the 2009 Ya Rasul Allah recording she analyses against Maâlem Mokhtar's higher version of the same piece.
Sum 2009 · Fig. 4.5 (row 2)
High extreme
msawi tal'a
| zir | C2#↑ | +5¢ |
| tahtiya | F2#↑ | +5¢ |
| ntoi | C3#↑ | +5¢ |
More than a step above the low tuning. Closer to the range Sum's brothers Mahmoud and Mokhtar tend to use.
Sum 2009 · Fig. 4.5 (row 5)
Average — universal
msawi 'alamiya
| zir | C2↑ | +20¢ |
| tahtiya | F2↑ | +10¢ |
| ntoi | C3↑ | +20¢ |
Sum calls this the typical tuning of the Gnawa repertoire — neither the low nor the high extreme.
Sum 2009 · Fig. 4.5 (row 8)
Lineage
- Second son of Boubker Guinea
- Brother of Mahmoud and Mokhtar Guinea
- Maâlem from age 16