The Gnawa Festival continues to enchant with a modern traditional blend that ignites the audience in Essaouira.
Last Friday, the nights of the Gnawa and World Music Festival dazzled the audience in Essaouira with a captivating artistic mix that combined the spiritual depth of Gnawa music and revitalized Amazigh rhythms, offering vibrant performances on the beach stage filled with art lovers from inside and outside Morocco.
The festival reiterated its status as a global meeting point for cultural exchange and artistic audacity, where the audience experienced a unique musical adventure presented by young artists and pioneers with innovative visions that blend local heritage with global musical influences. Authenticity and renewal were evident in performances that bridged the essence of the past with the pulse of the present, transforming the stage into an open space for free creativity and musical openness.
Master Idriss Samlali opened the night with a contemporary Gnawa piece that preserved the spirit of the traditional repertoire while highlighting the vitality of a new generation of Gnawa artists. Mehdi Kerdoudi continued to impress the audience with a fiery performance that stirred the energy of the attendees, establishing a profound collective interaction with the Gnawa rhythm.
The “Rabab Vision” group excelled in reshaping the sounds of Amazigh “Ismakan” songs, blending them with the spirit of blues, reggae, rock, and funk, giving them a global flavor that reflects the openness of Amazigh music to modern musical expressions.
Masters Mustafa Baqbu and Najib Oublacas presented a unifying artistic moment between generations, where the experience of the pioneers met the vision of youth in a performance that harmonized fidelity to the Gnawa style with an openness to contemporary musical schools, providing the audience with a rich display of expression and harmony.
The performance concluded with the sounds of Fahd Benchemsi and his band “The Lalas,” who fused Gnawa with gospel, jazz, and soul in a musical experience that resonated strongly with a diverse audience spanning multiple generations and cultures, affirming the global nature of Gnawa art and its ability to renew itself.
The 26th edition of the Gnawa and World Music Festival continues with the participation of 350 artists, including 40 Gnawa masters, as part of a program featuring 54 musical performances across the prominent stages of Essaouira, promising visitors an extraordinary experience infused with the spirit of art, dialogue, and connection.
