Essaouira to host 9th Gnaoua World Music Festival
2006-06-21
The increasingly popular Gnaoua World Music Festival of Essaouira will include traditional Gnaoua, blues, American and European jazz, Qawwali, and electronic music in its 9th edition.
By Hassan Benmehdi for Magharebia in Casablanca – 21/06/06
 [File] El Kasri (L) accompanied by a Gnaoua group from Essaouira |
The Gnaoua World Music Festival has achieved a passionate following in Essaouira since debuting in 1998. For the 9th edition scheduled for 22-25 June, organisers promise to meet public expectations in Morocco and abroad.
Organisers are seeking to go back to basic musical roots by presenting acts harkening to the sources of jazz and blues, with the goal of offering fans of the increasingly popular event a good time. In 2005, more than 400,000 people attended the festival.
The Gnaoua World Music Festival will honour the geniuses of jazz and blues -- two types of music that were well represented in previous festivals and are considered complementary with the traditional music of Gnaoua masters.
The opening act will feature legendary American guitarist Pat Metheny, who has dedicated himself for 20 years to taking jazz off the beaten path into the genres of world music, techno, heavy metal, and flamenco.
Other acts include the quartet of renowned Romanian jazz saxophonist Stefano Di Battista, American pianist and electric jazz enthusiast Scott Kinsey, American blues artist Correy Harris, Guinean kora master Ba Cissoko, Malian Ali Keita, Brasilian percussionists Luis Conte and Zé Luis Nascimiento, Algerian Gâada Diwane, and Qawwali musicians Mehr and Sher Ali and their ten Pakistani singers.
Gnaoua music will be represented by 15 masters including Mahmoud Guinea, Hamid El Kasri, Omar Hayat, Mustapha Bakbou, and Abderrahim Benthami. The older masters will support the future generation represented by Hassan Boussou, son of Hamida Boussou, and Hicham Merchane, son of Abdelkébir Merchane.
Acts representing a fusion of traditional and electronic music will be held on the Essaouira beachfront. Disc jockeys U-Cef, a Londoner of Moroccan origin, and Click of Paris will emcee the festivities.
Email to a friend
Print version
fahd Posted 2006-12-22
the Gnawa art is a Moroccan heritage that we should be proud of especially Saouira which is hosting Gnawa World Festival
karim gnaoua Posted 2007-02-07
Long live Gnawa
abd fattah Posted 2007-04-26
I like the Gnaoua music, I love my country and the Moroccan heritage, my greetings to the great masters, the later Hamid Boussou and master Sam
nadia Posted 2007-05-13
iy love musuc genawa
nana Posted 2007-05-13
yes the festival of gnawa is great
yousra Posted 2007-06-11
Thank you, I love Gnawa and Hamid El Asri so much.
أمين العبقري Posted 2007-06-18
I'm from the United Arab Emirates but my origins are from the city of Essaouira, I love the Festival of Essaouira because it gathers all the world's people, how nice is the city of winds and the beauty of this city! I love the master Mahmoud Kenya.
يونس Posted 2007-06-25
I love Gnaoua.
جواد Posted 2007-06-30
I love the Gnaoua music
sami Posted 2007-07-02
The Gnaoui art is a heritage dear to Morocco and Essaouira that hosts the International Festival of Gnaoua, I love Gnaoua.
سعيد jimi Posted 2007-08-02
They represented you as a boat in the sea which came from a far coast, holding hidden jewelery in the hearts of slaves.
ايمان Posted 2007-09-22
Long Live Essaouira and Gnaoua! I love this city!
tahiri simo Posted 2007-12-02
The love of Gnawa is in the blood. I'm a guitarist in the group Zorona.
touria Posted 2007-12-07
Salam, I love Gnaoua to death.
hamouda Posted 2008-01-22
Tagnawit forever, may God protect for us our artists and the people who organize this great festival for us.
wafaa Posted 2008-01-25
Honestly, we Moroccans have a great heritage. We should be proud of and show more our culture and namely the Gnawi art and we're all Gnawa.
sami Posted 2008-02-17
My name is Sami. I love Gnaoua and, even more so, Essaouira.
abdo Posted 2008-02-23
Essaouira forever, the city of world music. The city of winds.
moti Posted 2009-02-20
Gnaoua will forever remain in the hearts of all Moroccans because it is true music. -Motacim
fatima Posted 2009-05-23
Me too - I am from Essaouira. I really love my city and the Gnawa Festival and Tagnawite in general!
We welcome your comments on Magharebia's articles.
It is our hope that you will use this forum to interact with other readers across the Maghreb. In order to keep this experience interesting, we ask you to follow the rules outlined in the comments policy. By submitting comments, you are consenting to these rules. While Magharebia.com encourages discussion on all subjects, including sensitive ones, the comments posted are solely the views of those submitting them. Magharebia.com does not necessarily endorse or agree with the ideas, views, or opinions voiced in these comments. This is a moderated forum. Comments deemed abusive, offensive, or those containing profanity may not be published.
Magharebia's Comments Policy