Thirteenth Gnaoua World Music Festival Ends

Essaouira - The 13th Gnaoua World Music Festival, held under the high patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, ended on Sunday in the Atlantic city of Essaouira

    During this big artistic event, scheduled June 24-27, Essaouira throbbed to African, Maghreb, Balkan and Caucasian rhythms.

    The festival featured performances by famous Gnaoua masters, known as Maalems, including Mohamed Kouyou and Saïd Kouyou, in addition to renowned world musicians such as Algerian Amazigh Kateb and Pakistani Faiz Ali Faiz.

    Music lovers also enjoyed concerts by Georgian Ballet dancers and Armenian Navy Band.

    Fifty-eight concerts and five conferences on Gnaoua music were held during the festival which brought together 300 artists.

    The festival provides a platform for exchanges and a meeting point of music and dialogue between foreign artists and the mystical Gnaoua musicians. In this melting-pot of musical fusion, the Gnaoua masters invite players of jazz, pop, rock and contemporary music to explore new avenues.

MAP