Dead, Mahmoud Guinia, he was born in 1951 and died on the second of August, 2015. He was
a Moroccan Gnawa musician, singer and guembri player, who is traditionally regarded as a Maâllem (معلم محمود ﯕينيا), i.e. master.
He recorded for both domestic and foreign labels, and collaborated with numerous western musicians.
Guinia was born in the city Essaouira on the Atlantic coast.
He is the second son of the master of Gnawa music, Maâllem Boubker Guinia (1927–2000) and the famous clairvoyant and “moqaddema” A’isha Qabral.
His brothers Mokhtar Guinia and Abdellah Guinia are gnawa Maâllems too, and their sister Zaida is another moqqaddema.
Mahmoud Guinia is married to a woman from Marrakech, with whom he has two sons and a daughter.
His family of both the father’s and mother’s sides came from present day Mali. They were employed as soldiers in the sultan’s army.
They are regarded as the main representatives for the style of Essaouira, the Saouiri style.