RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Jazz and African music will be among the highlights of the 27th edition of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, scheduled for June 25-27 in Essaouira. Organizers have unveiled the first details of an edition that will once again focus on musical creation and intercultural dialogue through innovative artistic collaborations.
For nearly thirty years, the festival has brought together Gnaoua maalem and artists from around the world, offering fusion concerts and artistic residencies based on collective experimentation.
The opening concert will be performed by Mehdi Nassouli, who will combine Moroccan Gnaoua heritage with the UNESCO-recognized Intore dance tradition of Rwanda, represented by the Buhoro company.
Moroccan singer Sara Moullablad, Indian vocalist Ganavya, and French musician Sylvain Barou will also take part in the performance.
The artistic residency program, described by the organizers as a true “experimental laboratory,” will feature Hassan Boussou, Alexandre Herichon, Mohamed Derouich, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, Cheikh Ndoye, Karim Ziad, and Meryem Aassid, working on a new collective creation that will premiere during the festival.
Other highlights include the collaboration between Mohamed Montari, the Ethiopian group Badume’s Band, and singer Selamnesh Zéméné, in a musical dialogue between Gnaoua rhythms and Ethiopian traditions.
The festival will also feature a fusion of gospel and Gnaoua music, featuring The Harlem Spirit of Gospel by Anthony Morgan and Mehdi Qamoum.
Brazilian artist Carlinhos Brown will return to Essaouira alongside Hamid El Kasri for a new creation inspired by shared African rhythms and cultural heritage.
In parallel, renowned bassist Richard Bona and his band will host Moroccan singer Asma Lmnawar in a collaboration dedicated to the artistic dialogue between Africa and the Mediterranean.
With this new edition, the organizers reaffirm Essaouira’s role as a cultural meeting place “where music is transformed through encounters and creation is built collectively”.
-Photo Facebook page Festivan Gnaoua-
(ITALPRESS).
