Fez – The legendary Master Musicians of Jajouka, led by Bachir Attar, delivered a hypnotic performance in the lush gardens of Jnan Sbil last night as part of the 28th edition of the Fez World Sacred Music Festival.
Their haunting, trance-inducing melodies, carried by the piercing wail of the ghaïta (Maghrebi oboe) and the relentless pulse of frame drums, transported the audience into a realm where ancient ritual and modern transcendence collide.
Bachir Attar, leader of the Master Musicians of Jajouka, spoke passionately to Morocco World News (MWN) about his musical heritage at the Fez World Sacred Music Festival. “We are very happy to present ourselves at this festival,” he said.
“It’s a great opportunity for Moroccans to learn about Jajouka. While not widely known here, important music researchers recognize its value. That’s why we’re honored to share this deep Moroccan tradition.”
“This is Morocco’s oldest music, yet many have never heard it,” Attar continued. “Being here at Fez’s Sacred Music Festival is truly special. It’s incredible how our music came from a small village near Ksar El Kebir to reach global stages. We’ve worked with legends – the Rolling Stones, Slash, Aerosmith, even Howard Shore who composed Lord of the Rings. He visited my village and we created music for The Cell starring Jennifer Lopez.”
Attar said that his work wasn’t about personal fame. “It’s about honoring my family’s musical legacy, thousands of years old but little recognized.” He recalled memorable collaborations: “The Rolling Stones had us on their Steel Wheels album – the track Continental Drift became beloved. Slash told me he adored it when we met at Woodstock ’94.”
“This journey was never about me – it’s preserving my family’s art. Without them, I wouldn’t have done this. Alhamdulillah, we’ve given this music the global platform it deserves.” His final words carried quiet pride: “We’ve put Morocco’s musical soul on the world stage – that’s what matters most.”
A legacy that echoes through time
The village of Jajouka, nestled in the Rif Mountains, has been a wellspring of mystical sound for centuries. Their music, rooted in Sufi tradition and the rites of Boujeloud (the half-man, half-goat Pan-like figure), has captivated Western artists since the 1960s.
The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones immortalized their sound in his 1968 album Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Jajouka, while icons like Bob Dylan, Ornette Coleman, and William S. Burroughs, and most artists of the Beat Generation, have all fallen under their spell.
Last night’s performance was no exception. As the first notes of the ghaïta sliced through the air, the crowd, from festival pilgrims to local Moroccans, was immediately entranced.
The musicians, clad in traditional green robes, worked their way through complex polyrhythms and spiraling harmonies and ended up creating a sonic masterpiece that felt primal and timeless.
From the Beat Generation to Fez
The connection between Jajouka and Western counterculture runs deep.
As Bob Dylan once sang in “Thunder on the Mountain”, a line that could have been written for this very night: “I don’t need any guide, I already know the way.” Indeed, the Beat Generation found their way to Morocco in the 1950s, with William Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Paul Bowles, and Allen Ginsberg all drawn to the hypnotic sounds of Jajouka. Gysin even helped bring them to global attention by introducing them to Jones.
Last night, Bachir Attar and his ensemble proved that their music remains as vital as ever. The interplay between the oboe’s serpentine melodies and the relentless throb of percussion created an almost hallucinatory effect, blurring the line between sacred ritual and ecstatic celebration.
The Fez World Sacred Music Festival, now in its 28th year, has long been a meeting point for spiritual and artistic traditions from across the globe.
This year’s theme, “Renaissances” found a perfect expression in the Master Musicians of Jajouka, whose performance was less a concert than a ceremony, one that left the audience exhilarated and deeply moved.
As the final notes faded into the night, the crowd erupted in applause, many visibly awestruck.
For those who witnessed it, last night was a journey. And as Dylan might say, they didn’t need a guide. The music showed them the way.
