It is in Essaouira, this bewitching city swept by the winds of the Atlantic, that a unique festival resounds every year: the Gnaoua and World Music Festival. This year marks its silver wedding anniversary, twenty-five years of a vibrant celebration where music becomes the universal language of reunion and discovery.
For its 25th anniversary, the Gnaoua Festival has stuck to good old habits, starting with the now unmissable parade of Gnaoua troops, marking the start of the festivities. Dozens of troupes, each with their own distinct and captivating sounds, parade one by one through the winding streets of the medina, cheered by a captivated audience.
The mâalems, master musicians of the Gnaoua tradition, are at the heart of this effervescence, having become emblematic figures of the festival, appreciated as much for their talent as for their charisma. As the performances follow one another, the audience becomes enthusiastic, vibrating to the rhythm of the songs and dances.
The mâalems, now internationally recognized stars, are surrounded by admirers who shyly approach them for a photo, thus opening a moment of personal celebration at the heart of the collective excitement. For many, capturing a moment with these renowned musicians becomes a precious memory, a symbol of their immersion in the magic of the Gnaoua Festival.
A dream come true
Once the parade is over, it is the turn of the distinguished guests and organizers to enter through the Bab el-Sebâa gate. The King’s Advisor and founding president of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, André Azoulay, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, the former head of the Spanish government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, as well as the director and producer of the festival, Neila Tazi, among others, stop and greet one by one the artists who will animate the Cité des Alizés for two non-stop days.
Speaking on this occasion, Bensaid stressed that the Gnaoua Festival of Essaouira, which continues to gain notoriety, has given a positive dynamic to this thousand-year-old city, by moving from a tourist city to a cultural city par excellence that promotes diversity and intercultural dialogue. A memorable concert will follow this parade bringing together musicians and dancers from Morocco, Brazil, Spain and Ivory Coast. The concert orchestrated by the great maalem Hassan Boussou and Moulay Tayeb Dehbi, alongside Ilê Aiyê, was an opportunity to bring together for the first time three musical genres classified on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, namely gnaoua, flamenco and zaouli.
To represent Spain, dancer and choreographer Niño de los reyes delighted the audience with his “zapateado”. In a statement to Les Inspirations ÉCO, the Spanish dancer told us that he “fulfilled one of his dreams”. “I came to Essaouira last year as a tourist and I was fascinated by the festival, the mix of cultures, the music and the way all cultures naturally intermingle”, he said, confiding that he “loves Morocco, Essaouira and its festival”.
400,000 festival-goers
Niño de los reyes is not the only one who has fallen under the spell of this city. Marie, a French woman from La Rochelle, says she has been coming for several years especially for the festival. “It was my husband, who was born and raised in Morocco, who introduced me to the Gnaoua Festival and, since then, we come every year,” she explains.
Indeed, among the 400,000 festival-goers present this year, there are the faithful of the festival, but also those who discover for the first time this musical communion which transcends borders, in the very heart of the city of Essaouira, where the vibrations ancient and modern instruments mingle to weave a carpet of sound that intoxicates the senses and nourishes the soul. Regulars or not, all festival-goers seem won over by the programming of this special edition, bringing together 400 artists from 14 different countries, during no less than 53 concerts.
Hamid El Kasri, Abdenbi El Guedari, Abdeslam Alikkane are some of the dozens of mâalems to have performed on stage during these forty-eight hours. Several international artists have also found their audience. The Palestinian Saint Levant, the Spanish Buika and the Algerian Labess have left their mark on this year’s festival.
“This edition is very important, we are receiving great artists each in their own musical genre and even the Moroccan mâalems have worked hard to make it even more special,” says the living legend of Gnaoua art, Hamid El Kasri.
But music was not confined to the stages and spaces dedicated to the festival. On every street corner, in every open space, music pulsed like the heart of the city of Essaouira. The cobblestones of the medina have become improvised stages for artists who captivate an audience eager for culture and sharing. Undeniably, the Gnaoua Festival, through its twenty-five years of existence, remains a beacon of world culture, a place where the past and the present meet in captivating harmony, reminding everyone of the importance of preserving and celebrate the musical treasures that enrich our humanity.
Faiza Rhoul / ECO Inspirations
