Sintir

The sintir (Arabic: سنتير), also known as the guembri (الكمبري), gimbri, hejhouj in Hausa language, is a three stringed skin-covered bass plucked lute used by the Gnawa people of Morocco.The neck is a simple stick with one short and two long goat strings that produce a percussive sound similar to a pizzicato cello or double bass.The long neck passes through the top of the body and runs under the face, coming out through the skin near the base of the instrument, to serve as a tailpiece or string-carrier.The sliding leather tuning rings and the rattle-like metal sound modifier are commonly found in such West African instruments as the kora and the xalam (lute).The most popular guembri players in traditional and popular music are the late Abderahmane "Paco" Kiruche and Mahmoud Gania- both from Essaouira - the brothers Ahmed & Mustapha Baqbou of Marrakech, Abdelkader Amlil and Majid Bekkas of Rabat, and Hamid al Kasri originally from Ksar El Kebir in the north of the country, but for many years living in the capital.The main artist plays the lute and sings, accompanied by bendir players and backing singers which can include both men and women.