The Gnawa epic, from the backstreets of the medina to the world’s biggest stages

Twenty-five years ago, a group of enthusiasts led by Neila Tazi fomented an au­dacious cultural project that would turn the sleepy, old-fashioned town of Essaouira into one of the most important musical destinations on the continent, if not the world. Were they aware that they were preparing the start of an incredible human adven­ture that was going to shake up thou­sands of young people in a Morocco, then under new reign, that was for­cing itself to assert its plurality and modernity? Probably not.

The only thing that mattered at the time was the urgent need to safeguard an ancestral heritage threatened with extinction: the Gnawa artists, who are the bea­rers of an extraordinary culture with sub-Saharan roots, of a memorable musical knowledge, guarantors of an immutable spiritual heritage, were, in the 90s, still marginalized, reduced to performing in the street, condemned to live by begging. The first Gnawa and World Music Festival was held in June 1998. The bold initiative was not without risks. Affirming, through the richness of a popular culture, our Afri­can roots through our deep sub-Saha­ran roots, was in itself a challenge, at a time when the preachers of absolute Arabism were legion.

Liberating the creative, self-willed youth thirsting for art and universality that these same preachers held in check was another, far more perilous challenge. Revea­ling, over the years, the impact of art in the economic and social develop­ment of a region was certainly the greatest challenge. The consequences were manifold, and the popular suc­cess of the festival was immediate: tens of thousands of people flocked to Essaouira right from the start, and some remember the food shortages that arose during the first editions. The city’s restaurateurs and shopkeepers were unaccustomed to seeing crowds of visitors, and from the day after the festival opened, food was in short supply, as were hotel rooms. Many people spent the nights under the stars on Essaouira beach, lulled by the trade winds and a new, invigorating sense of freedom. We’ve come a long way since then…

«My emotions run high when I think back on the incredible artistic and human epic we’ve lived through over the past 25 years. I have many vivid images in my mind, and I also think of all the extraordinarily talented men and women who have marked the history of the festival, be they artists, members of the team, journa­lists, sponsors, and public and private partners… But I’d also like to pay spe­cial tribute to the genius of the great Maâlems who are no longer with us: Mohamed Sam, Abderrahman Paca, Hamida Boussou, Cherif Regragui, as well as Mahmoud and Abdellah Gui­nea», says Neila Tazi, the festival’s founder, because the festival’s pri­m a r y achie­vement is to have res­tored all its credentials to this incredibly rich tradition, perpe­tuated by the descendants of slaves, and which constitutes a precious part of Morocco’s musical heritage.

Today, the Maâlems collaborate with the greatest foreign musicians, and perform in the most prestigious halls and on the stages of the most important festivals in the world, from New York to Tokyo, including Syd­ney, Dubai, London, and Paris. But above all, the festival has become, over the years, the meeting place of all possibilities.

A place where the world’s musicians allow themselves to free themselves from all constraints and dare the most audacious associa­tions. A moment where time is sus­pended, to let the magic unfold. From Randy Weston to Omar Sosa, from Lucky Peterson to Jamaaladeen Ta­cuma, many legends have come to rub shoulders with the masterful beat of Abdallah El Gourd, the late Mah­moud Guinea, and Abdeslam Alik­kane. This openness to the world has enabled Moroccan maâlems to shine throughout the world.

In 2009, the festival team founded the Yerma Gnaoua association, to give extra prominence to the work of safeguarding and promoting the tradi­tion. It took 4 years of titanic work to publish the first anthology of Gnawa music, bringing together all the songs, music, and texts of this age-old art. But the ultimate accolade came in De­cember 2019 in Bogotá, when Gnawa culture was finally included on the list of Humanity’s intangible cultural he­ritage. The festival has also helped the city of Essaouira, and Mo­rocco as a whole, to shine throughout the world.

Today, the Gnawa have become internationally-identified archetypes that go far beyond mere folklore clichés. Their discipline is becoming increasingly structured through training. To ensure a scien­tific research component and further knowledge of Gnawa culture, the fes­tival has joined forces with the «Afri­can Studies» center at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in the city of Benguerir, this «African Studies» center being headed by philosopher and professor Ali Benmakhlouf, to create a university chair dedicated to Gnawa culture.

Amine BOUSHABA