theartsdesk at the Gnawa Festival, Essaouira | reviews, news & interviews
theartsdesk at the Gnawa Festival, Essaouira
theartsdesk at the Gnawa Festival, Essaouira
400,000 people converge on what may be this year's biggest Festival
Tuesday, 06 July 2010
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/mast_image_landscape/public/mastimages/d17ef18e347871e9944e7d310ab99d0c.jpg?itok=HsSAHZ6V)
Gnawa musicians playing at opening ceremonyRichard Duebel
Come the end of June in Essaouira on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, up to half a million festival-goers team the narrow, traffic-free streets of the medina, its two huge open squares, and numerous courtyards and riyads around town, for what must be the world’s biggest free festival. It is dedicated to Gnawa, the trance and healing music of African Moroccans who had been inveigled into slavery in centuries past – there was a slave market in Essaouria until the early part of the 20th century – and whose music, until the festival kicked off in 1998, was regarded with suspicion and disdain by contemporary Morocco.
Come the end of June in Essaouira on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, up to half a million festival-goers team the narrow, traffic-free streets of the medina, its two huge open squares, and numerous courtyards and riyads around town, for what must be the world’s biggest free festival. It is dedicated to Gnawa, the trance and healing music of African Moroccans who had been inveigled into slavery in centuries past – there was a slave market in Essaouria until the early part of the 20th century – and whose music, until the festival kicked off in 1998, was regarded with suspicion and disdain by contemporary Morocco.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more New music
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/896350.jpg?itok=6_LblfjO)
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/strangenesse1.jpg?itok=XXcoA2Yu)
![As ever, looking the part](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Screenshot%202024-07-22%20201257.png?itok=2zJqbqUe)
![The Very Things GXL: still weird and wonderful](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Very%20Things_Mr%20Arc%20Eye%20album%20front%203000px-sq.jpg?itok=N5yzSnSf)
!['A well-paced set that reflected the variety of her music-making'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Madeleine%20Peyroux%20Barbican%20-%20Mark%20Allen.jpg?itok=BC98Xvv5)
![Kevin Fowley's 'À Feu Doux': repeated listening reveals structure](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Kevin%20Fowley%20-%20%C3%80%20Feu%20Doux.jpg?itok=vsjnGnCK)
![Barry Ryan in 1968](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/barry%20ryan%201968_header.jpg?itok=KvRj_eQ8)
![Not quite the White Album](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/deep.png?itok=HGvr7itC)
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/slowly%20rolling%20camera.jpg?itok=Hp7VLwgR)
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/cover%20Lava%20La%20Rue%20-%20Starface.jpg?itok=VFhlLw0n)
![Adding an ethereal touch](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/The%20Raveonettes%20-%20Sing...%20Cover.jpg?itok=m27skxpe)
!['Science Not Fiction': berserker rock](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Orange%20Goblin%20-%20Science%20Not%20Fiction.jpeg?itok=kGgSya3p)
Add comment