Houssam Guinea was born in Marrakech, the son of the great Maâlem Mahmoud Guinea, emblematic figure of Gnaoua music, and heir to a long tradition that goes back to Ba Massoud. Though still very young, Houssam had Gnaoua in his blood, like his uncle Mokhtar and his elder brother Hamza. Open to world rhythms while perfectly mastering Gnaoua tradition, Houssam is gifted with a stunning talent that he owes not only to talent, but even more so to dedication and rigour. In 2012, he played with his father at a concert in Belgium, and the adventure began. He created his own Essaouira-based group in 2014, performing across Morocco as well as in England and the Netherlands.

In 2016, Houssam Guinea performed a tribute concert to his father and to Doudou N’diaye Rose in Essaouira for the Gnaoua Festival, followed by an appearance on Rabat’s Mawazine stage for a fusion with Omar Sosa and Mehdi Nassouli. Since then, he continues his Gnaoua maâlem career with great dignity, combining strength and humility, stunning the world with his charismatic style.