Ruwahine

Ifriqiyya Electrique is a band that brings together Sufi trance musicians and rituals from the Tunisian desert with post-industrial sonics. The band was formed in the Djerid Desert in southern Tunisia, home to the Banga ritual of Sidi Marzûq.

The Banga ritual is a key annual event in the lives of the black communities of the oasis towns of southern Tunisia, descendants of the Hausa slaves transported from sub-Saharan Africa. It is a ritual of adorcism, not of exorcism, where the possessing spirit is accommodated rather than expelled.

François Cambuzat, a guitarist and field recordist, along with bassist Gianna Greco, are part of Ifriqiyya Electrique. Cambuzat is a veteran of the Mediterranean punk and avant-rock scene, known for his politically charged music. The band also collaborates with legend of the NY underground, Lydia Lunch.

The music of Ifriqiyya Electrique can only be fully understood in the context of the events that gave rise to it. The band is also involved in film and documentary projects, capturing the wild and ecstatic gatherings that are both other-worldly and familiar to the un-initiated.

Ifriqiyya Electrique's music is a vital part of a Sufi culture that is being pressed on all sides by the forces of reaction. The band refuses to let this tradition pass and continues to bring it to audiences through their powerful performances. Their LP is a 180 Gram Heavyweight album housed in a Gatefold Sleeve with Download.