A country where Berbers, Arabs, Europeans, Jews and Africans have lived together for centuries can only be rich with musical traditions. However, Moroccan music is not as documented as in other African countries. Recent years have seen the come back of major festivals, after a hiatus due to the pandemic. For local sounds you want to attend Gnawa music festival in Essaouira or the Sacred World Music festival in Fes. For more of a melting pot, try out Mawazine festival in Rabat or Jazzablanca in … Casablanca. They tend to take place between June and July. We’ve attended quite a few editions of Taragalt in Mhamid, on the outskirts of the Sahara dunes, and we think it’s a great one to include in your tour of Morocco if you happen to be around those dates ( October/ November).
Outside these festivals, it isn’t easy to find Moroccan music being played, unless you are invited into a marriage or other private ceremonies. Recently, small local initiatives have tried to bring this music to the general public, tourists and locals together – one such consistent venue being The Douiria in Marrakech. It may be that during your tour, you will come upon a village feast, moussem or marriage and you may be invited to partake, but these moments happen on a spontaneous basis and can’t be planned in advance. If you wish to attend any of the above while on a private tour of Morocco, just send us an enquiry.
