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Essaouira – Thousands flock to the historic beach town of Essaouira this week for the annual Gnaoua World Music Festival’s opening night in anticipation of another history-making lineup of world-class performers.
The festival celebrates its 24th edition this year, and in that time, it has seen countless world-renowned acts grace its stages.
Every year, it draws an impressive crowd of festival goers from all over the world that come to experience the joy and power of Gnaoua music, filling the 18th century Spanish-built town with life as the crowds pour in throughout the weekend.
This year’s lineup includes artists from a wide assortment of genres, all with some connection to the Gnaoua genre, or at least, in some way, whose music captures the essence of the genre and what it represents here in Morocco.
World-renowned American jazz saxophonist Jaleel Shaw opened the Moulay Hassan stage on Thursday in collaboration with Maalems Mohammed and Said Kouyou, the drummers of Burundi, and critically acclaimed Moroccan singer and composer Sanaa Marahati. 
Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira
From Cuban guitar legend Eliades Ochoa (Buena Vista Social Club), to Belgian neo-soul powerhouse songwriter-performer Selah Sue, and Maalem Mohammed Kouyou, the festival plays host to an incredible assortment of acts this week and into the weekend.
Many Moroccans and travelers from abroad made the trek across the country, some from Rabat down to Marrakech, all the way to Essaouira this Wednesday in preparation for the festival. Bringing with them the spirit of collaboration, music, and cultural resilience.
“The soul of Gnaoua is in Essaouira,” says one Moroccan man on his way to the festival. He plans to play Gnaoua music in the streets with his band when he arrives.
It is a time for Moroccans to share their pride, and gather to honor the traditions of Gnaoua music, which by nature is a collective music for all to join.
Gnaoua, a traditional music from the Gnawi tribes of West Africa, has rooted itself as an integral and longstanding foundation of Morocco’s identity and pride over many centuries. Known for its pulsing rhythms and intoxicating circular melodies, it is uncommon to go to any Gnaoua concert in Morocco that does not have the whole audience singing and clapping along.
A place where music rules all, when Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” is played in Essaouira, everyone sings along. 
Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira
Marley’s calls for peace and liberation are alive within the walls of the city, with music, beauty and art at the forefront of the movement.
Street painters, potters, and artisans adorn the medina streets, making everything bright and active especially in time for the yearly festival.
Reminiscent of San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury neighborhood circa 1969, there is a palpable energy like no other: vibrant, playful, and transformative. 
Gnaoua festival, Essaouira
The love and reverence offered to Bob Marley and other brilliant musicians who have followed in his footsteps, sharing his dreams of liberation through music, are immortalized in the story of Essaouira.
The appreciation for the transcendent power of music resonates at the heart of Essaouira, making it the perfect place to host this incredible annual music festival.
