Gnaoua (Gnawa) musicians performing during the 2010 Gnaoua festival in the city of Essaouira, Morocco

The Gnaoua World Music Festival is a

Gnawa music Gnawa music (Ar. ) is a body of Moroccan religious songs and rhythms. Its well-preserved heritage combines ritual poetry with traditional music and dancing. The music is performed at ''lila'', communal nights of celebration dedicated to prayer ...

festival held annually in Essaouira,

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

. It was founded in 1998 by A3 Groupe, a private event-organizing company located in Casablanca. The festival provides a platform for a meeting point of music and dialogue between foreign artists and the mystical

Gnaoua The Gnawa (or Gnaoua, Ghanawa, Ghanawi, Gnawi'; Arabic: ڭناوة) are an ethnic group inhabiting Morocco. The name Gnawa probably originated in the indigenous language of North Africa and the Sahara Desert. The phonology of this term accordi ...

(also

Gnawa The Gnawa (or Gnaoua, Ghanawa, Ghanawi, Gnawi'; Arabic: ڭناوة) are an ethnic group inhabiting Morocco. The name Gnawa probably originated in the indigenous language of North Africa and the Sahara Desert. The phonology of this term accordi ...

) musicians. In this melting-pot of musical fusion, the

masters invite players of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, pop,

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and contemporary World music to explore new avenues. The festivals see up to 500,000 visitors every year over four days; many of the performances can be viewed for free, which complicates comparison with other festivals."The Worlds's Biggest Music Festivals"
ic CNBC.

References

External links

Homepage Paris Holds Exhibition of Moroccan Gnaoua
*
Gnaoua World Music Festival by the authors of Wiki Musique
Music festivals in Morocco World music festivals Music festivals established in 1998 {{Africa-music-stub

See also

References

External links