Book Now for Master Musicians of Joujouka Festival 8-10 June 2012
Boujeloud in the flames, photo by Robert Hampson master Musicians of Joujouka Festival 2010
The Master Musicians of Joujouka Festival 2012 takes place from 8-10 June 2011. En Francais ICI
The summer festival began in 2008 with the Master Musicians Brian Jones 40th Anniversary Festival and has continued every year since then.
The festival is a true micro festival rather than a rock festival.
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| The village square with the sanctuary of Sufi saint Sidi Ahmed Shiech on left Lars Movin 2010 |
The ideology behind the festival is to allow a very small group of people the opportunity to hang out and live in the village for a few days with the Master Musicians as their hosts. Numbers are therefore strictly limited in order to ensure that people have a unique and personal experience in the village and with their individual and collective hosts The Master Musicians of Joujouka. There will be some people on hand who have long connections with the village who speak French, Arabic and English and any questions you have while in the village can be addressed as your comfort and enjoyment is key to the continued success of this truly unique experience.
Naturally the highlight of the festival is the three days of music and the intimate access to the Masters and their hospitality.
Above Slide show from 2011 Festival “Joujouka Some Stones” by Hermann Vanaerschot click to view
Press from recent years Click on title to go to article
Mark Paytress Take me into insanity The Guardian 2009
The Wire 2009 free MP3 download
The Wire 2009 Video download from Brian Jones 40th Anniversary festival
Arrangements
You will be collected at EL Ksar El Kebir train station (see www.oncf.ma for trian times from all Moroccan cities) on June 8th by prior arrangement with the festival. Having been collected at the train station you will be transported to the village.You will be returned to Ksar El Kebir to meet your connections after the Festival. Due to the high demand for 2012 only 3 day tickets are available. If you wish to come for one or two days please email joujouka@gmail.com for rates and availability.
The ticket price includes your meals, bottled water, tea, coffees, accommodation and forward and return transport to the village from Ksar El Kebir in order to meet your connections .
The Master Musicians will perform each day both informally and with full performances each night. Guests stay with the Master Musicians of Joujouka in their homes.
Food
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| Lunch 2010 photo by Joachim Montessuis |
The food is excellent. We can cater for vegetarians easily and vegans with a far bit of hassle but we do so every year.
The festival (ie The Master Musicians and the villagers) provide all meals. Food is sourced locally.
Friday 8th June lunch and dinner.
Saturday 9th June Breakfast lunch and dinner
10th Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
11th. Breakfast and transport to Ksar El Kebir to meet your train or onward connections.
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| Figs fresh from the trees in Joujouka 2010 photo Tomas McGrail White |
The festival is restricted in numbers of guests to ensure you have a very chilled out and personal experience of life in the village.
We provide your bottled water plus tea, coffee. Alcohol is prohibited in the village!!
Accommodation
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| The House where Brian Jones stayed in 1968 with well and fig trees by Manno Franco 2009 |
You will accommodated with the family of one of the Master Musicians.
Breakfast is served in the house you stay in and you will be accommodated in a room to yourself or with your friends or partner. Let us know your desired accommodation arrangements when you are contacted after your booking or email before hand if you have any queries. You will not be sharing a room with strangers.
All your personal arrangements will be worked out by email or phone with you before you arrive.
During the day the Master Musicians play in an informal way and most people hang out as they please at their HQ/house / school while each night the Master Musicians of Joujouka perform their ritual music.
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| Inside the courtyard of the home of Master Musician Abdelslam Errtoubi Photo Lars Movin 2010 |
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| Magara cave of Boujeloud situated about 1km from the village by Lars Movin b 2010 |
The easiest airport to come from if you are only coming to Morocco for the festival is Tanger with train connections from Tanger Ville ( Taxi costs 100 MAD).
However Fez and Casablanca are 4 hours train journey from El Ksar El Kebir (Marrakesh is 8 hours) so any airport is good except Agadir which has no direct train connections.
This year we are facilitating installment payments of 50.You can use the same button to pay a single deposit that will ensure you a reserved place at the festival subject to balance being paid. If you require assistance or further information email joujouka@gmail.com
Using the paypal button below you can pay for a full ticket for the 3 day event at €330 and €50 deposit or if you have paid a deposit and wish to pay the balance of €280.
Full Balance is payable by 1 March 2012 unless you have made a prior arrangemnet with festival by emailing joujouka@gmail.com Deposit will forfeited on cancellation. However if you pay in full before 1 March and cancel on or before 1 March the balance above 50 euros will be returned to you within 7 days.
Master Musicians of Joujouka Mali mal M’Halmaz Everyone is together by MasterMusiciansofJoujouka
Master Musicians of Joujouka Brain Jones 40th Anniversary Festival 2008
Master Musicans of Joujouka Brian Jones Festival 2012 dates announced
The Master Musicians of Joujouka Festival 2012 will take place from 8-10 June 2012 in the Master village of Joujouka , Morocco. As usual guest who stay for three nights will actually leave on the morning on Monday 13th June. 
We have already received several bookings and as places are limited to 50 people it is advisable to pay a 50 euro deposit now on our festival website Festival website
The prices for next year’s festival are currently under revision but early bookers will pay 330 euro for three nights or 275 euro for 2 nights. (Two night places are strictly limited this year to 10 people only all other tickets are for three nights).
See a photo essay by Herman Vanaerschot of the 2011 Master Musicians of Joujouka Brian Jones Festival Herman Vanaerschot Joujouka some Stones
Master Musicans of Joujouka at Glastonbury Festival 2011
Boujeloud by Hermann Vanaerschot
This week Glastonbury Festival organizers Nick Dewey and Emily Eavis responded to the question “ Which of your acts are you most excited about in 2011?”
With “Mmm tricky to single out any individual acts as we’re very excited about the whole lot of them, but special mention must go to the Master Musicians of Joujouka who are coming all the way over from Morocco to live and play their ancient trance music and perform rituals all weekend in their tipi up near the Rabbit Hole. Now there is a meeting of minds.” Nick and Emily on Glastonbury 2011?
The Master Musicians are delighted to be accorded the honor of opening the Glastonbury Festival main Pyramid stage on Friday 24 June at 11 am and to play all weekend at our our space Joujouka Zone where we will be staying and playing.
For Ahmed El Attar this marks his return to Worthy Farm after 31 years, he played there last at the start of the 1980 tour by Master Musicians of Jajouka. Mustapha El Attar’s father played Worthy Farm in 1980 but due to health issues was forced to return to Morocco where he succumbed to his illness. Mustapha is proud to return in his father’s footsteps to Somerset and continue the long tradition of the Master Musicians . Ahmed El Attar says “ It is an honor for us to come to the UK and contribute our traditional Moroccan music to the Glastonbury Festival and the people of the UK. Our music is music of peace and blessings and we hope that people will join us in achieving a great upheaval of emotion and peace at Glastonbury”
Media contacts for Master Musicians of Joujouka during the festival phone Richard at 07837087896 (from inside UK) 00447837087896 (from outside Uk).
our full Glastonbury appearances so far :
Friday 24 11.00-11.45 am Pyramid stage
Afternoon and evening and into the late night at Joujouka Zone near The Rabbit Hole in The Park area (Tipi village) where The Master Musicians of Joujouka will give intimate performances and each night the full ritual of Boujeloud.
Saturday 25
Afternoon 1pm recording for BBC Radio 6 live at Joujouka Zone, The Park Then Playing all day on site and in evening Boujeloud at The Park area (Tipi village).21.00-21.30 The Crow’s Nest
later Boujeloud at Joujouka Zone , The Park
Sunday 26
Early afternoon drum workshop Joujouka Zone The Park
Music , More Music and the final full on Boujeloud performance into Monday morning.
Come join us for mint tea and Sufi trance music we will be doing our own thing in our own space for most of the weekend and bring spare wellies if you have them. They are hard to buy in Morocco
Booking for Master Musicians of Joujouka Festival 2012 is open
Pay deposit now?
BBC Radio 4 Broadcast "Return to Joujouka" retraces Brian Jones' 1968 journey to Joujouka this Sunday
Neil McCarthy retraces Brian Jones’ 1968 journey to Morocco to encounter the first stars of world music- The Master Musicians of Joujouka.
This year the Master Musicians will hypnotize a new audience when they open Glastonbury, but they have been stars on the world stage for more than 40 years now, the first stars of ‘world music’ in fact. Their trance like & cacophonous sounds have spread far from their home in the foothills of Morocco’s Rif Mountains. .
In 1967 their sounds cast a spell on Rolling Stone Brian Jones. Just as they already had over Beat writers like Brion Gysin and William Burroughs, drawn to the exotic and hallucinatory world of Tangiers where the musicians had first played for Westerners. The results of Jones’ journey came in 1971- effectively the first ‘World Music album’ featuring the Master Musicians,’ Brian Jones Presents The Pipes Of Pan At Joujouka’.
The Rolling Stone took recording engineer George Chkiantz along to capture the essence of this wildly hypnotic music, passed from generation to generation and designed to first entice and then whip you into a frenzy for Bou Jeloud – the Goat God Pan
Neil McCarthy retraces Jone’s journey. Meeting Chkiantz before travelling to Morocco in the company of Frank Rynne, another under Joujouka’s spell. There he meets Mohamed Hamri, effectively ambassador for the village musicians, befriending Jones and other Westerners including the woman he would marry, Blanca. His charms persuading her to leave New York’s jazz scene far behind for a very different life.
As the night wears on McCarthy finds himself drowned in sound as the Master Musicians summon up the spirit of Bou Jeloud before the dawn finally breaks.
N.B. Revised repeat of a feature first broadcast in 2000
Producer Mark Burman.
Return to Joujouka BBC Radio 4 Sunday 1.30 pm ?
Master Musicians open Glastonbury Festival 2011 Pyramid stage June 24
Image Master Musicians of Joujouka in 1969
Master Musicians of Joujouka are proud to announce that the group will open the Glastonbury Festival 2011. We are honored to be accorded this privilege and play the Pyramid stage on Friday 24 June. Later that day, the stage will host, amongst others, Wu Tang Clan, Morrisey, B.B. King, Biffy Clyro and U2.
The musicians will remain at Glastonbury for the duration of the festival, playing at our own area in The Park area. These performances will be un-amplified ritual trance and will allow for the musicians to showcase their music in a natural way, while allowing attendees at the festival to gain a unique and intimate experience with the Master Musicians playing just as they do in their native village in the North of Morocco.
This will mark a return to Glastonbury for some of the Master Musicians after 31 years; they were hosted on the Eavis family farm in 1980 during a year when there was no festival. This marked the beginning of their first ever foreign tour.
More news soon
For press inquiries email Frank joujouka@gmail.com
For the full festival line up see The Guardian The Guardian
Stay up to date with all Glastonbury developments Glastonbury Festival website
Master Musicians of Joujouka collaborate with Jane's Addiction on "End to the Lies" free download from Jane's Addiction website
The Master Musicians of Joujouka are proud to announce their collaboration with music legends Jane’s Addiction on their forthcoming album “The Great Escape Artist” due August 2011 from Capitol Records.
According to Perry Farrell lead singer of Jane’s Addiction ““We wanted to add a sense of ancient ritual and some depth beyond normal instrumentation, getting off the typical path that rock bands use, etc …And we wanted the music to cast a spell on the ‘lies.’”
Producer Rich Costey (Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol), stated “It was all recorded in the Master Musicians Madrassa (school house) which is out in the village of Joujouka in Morocco where they live. The drums were recorded in the kitchen and the rhiatas in the main room of the house.”
Perry Farrell adds: “Lots of sounds were recorded with them so you may hear more of them on the record. You’ll have to wait and see.”
Master Musicians of Joujouka manager and sometimes producer Frank Rynne says “I met Jane’s Addiction in 1991 backstage at the Marquee in London. They are sublime rock’n‘rollers, musicians and artists. I am proud of the Master Musicians performance for this record and the musicians worked hard and really listened hard before they did what they always do and blasted hard trance rhiatas and funky tribal beats. This was a collaboration waiting to happen but I am astounded by the results. Great song, great performances all round and a brilliant production by Rich Costey. I can’t wait for the album as this first track has brought back my faith in rock music, 100 listens and I am still hearing different stuff.”
Guitarist Dave Navarro told Spinner.com. “To me, it sounds like an updated Jane’s Addiction as it has the hypnotic repetitive nature of some of our early work combined with a modern approach,”
You can download the first track from this collaboration End to the Lies by signing up to Jane’s Addiction’s mailing list here Jane’s Addiction Official mailing list
Jane’s Addiction websiteInfo on the Master Musicians of Joujouka recording with Jane’s Addiction
Master Musicians of Joujouka recorded in Joujouka, Morocco by Frank Rynne.
Arranged by Frank Rynne and Ahmed Attar
6 musicians playing the Tibel:
- Ahmed El Attar
- Mustapha El Attar
- El Khalil Radi
- Jamal El Bakar
- Abdeslam Boukhzar
- Ahmed Talha
8 musicians played Rhiata:
- Abdeslam RRtoubi
- Abdellah Ziyat
- El Mahi Elmojahed
- Abdelkhalak Talhi
- Ali Ezouglali
- El Touhami Talha
- Mohamed El Attar
- Mohamed Mokhchan
- Mohamed El Hatmi, who danced Boujeloud
The Master Musicians of Joujouka Festival in their village 10-12 June , 2011, is still booking on this site and Master musicians of Joujouka Brian Jones Festival blog
Master Musicians of Joujouka Festival, 10, 11 & 12 June, 2011 Booking Now
The 2011 Master Musicians of Joujouka Festival will take place from 10-12 of June 2011. Started in 2008 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Rolling Stone, Brian Jones recording The Master Musicians of Joujouka in 1968 the festival has become an annual event in the village calender.
You can pay for tickets by installments we will be happy to set up a monthly Paypal demand or standing order which would allow people to pay for their ticket over the year rather than all at once or just follow the first link below.
There has been an unprecedented level of inquiries and interest in the 2011 festival so it is strongly recommended that you pay a deposit. Places are strictly limited in order to ensure accommodation in Joujouka with the Master Musicians and to ensure a unique experience for all guests.
Online booking has ended for last minute places email joujouka@gmail.com
The Wire, October 2009, Lisa Blenning on Master Musicians of Joujouka Festival 2009 in Global Ear, plus free exclusive MP3 and video downloads
Lisa Blenning reports in The Wire, October, 2009 on Master Msuicians of Joujouka Festival 5/6 June 2009.
The Wire also have an exclusive free MP3 dowload of music from the Brian Jones 40th Anniversary festival in Joujouka.
Download an MP3 featuring two tracks performed by The Master Musicians of Joujouka (as featured in this month’s Global Ear) recorded live at the Brian Jones 40th Anniversary Festival in Joujouka/Jajouka 29 July 2008. The performance began exactly forty years to the hour from when Brian Jones recorded The Master Musicians in 1968. The resulting LP Brian Jones presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka was the first release on Rolling Stones Records in 1971
The tracks featured are:
“Habibi Wan Amali” (“My love what more have I”) and “L’Aita” (“The Call”)
The Master Musicians of Joujouka on this recording are
Ahmed El Attar drums
El Kahil Radi drums
Mustahpa El Attar drums
Ahmed Bouhsini rhiata
Mohamed Mokhchan rhiata
Abdelslam Errtoubi rhiata
Abdellah Ziyat rhiata
Mohamed El Attar rhiata
Mohamed El Tahami rhiata
Produced by Frank Rynne
Engineer David Slevin
Available here
Plus Video download from The Wire, a preview of Daragh McCarthy’s movie on the Brian Jones 40th Anniversary Festival.
The Wire “Brian Jones Joujouka Very Stoned”
"Joujouka Black Eyes" - CD available again
Following the successful Brian Jones 40th Anniversary Festival at the village in July, we now have a new pressing of the acclaimed “Joujouka Black Eyes” album, which has recently been hard to get.
The CD was the first production by Frank Rynne of The Master Musicians of Joujouka and was the first release by the Masters on the Sub Rosa label. Recorded over a nine-week period in 1994, it features both large ensembles and small groups of the Sufi masters playing in informal settings. The CD contains 16 tracks including Brian Jones Joujouka Very Stoned. This tribute to Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones is a standard in the musicians repertoire.
Brian Olewnick, All Music Guide:
The contrast between the earthy drum rhythms and the delicate filigree of the flute work, sounding like some avian fantasy, is luscious. Listeners who only know this genre through recordings like Apocalypse Across the Sky owe it to themselves to hear Joujouka’s flip side, the one without one ear tilted toward the world music market.
Get the CD in our shop for EUR 15 (including shipping).
Brian Jones festival a huge success – First report
The excitement had died down in Joujouka this morning as the Master Musicians relaxed after a sleepless week. The last guests, two Land Rovers from the film crew got safely placed on their articulated truck by Mark at Ksar El Kebir yesterday afternoon.
On last Saturday a wedding took place in Joujouka and the Master played until dawn. Sunday saw the arrival of the first journalist, as well as sound engineer Dave Slevin, a film crew, plus director Daragh McCarthy and the first guests.
On Monday the guest of honour, Anita Pallenberg, arrived, accompanied by John Dunbar and James Birch. They were accommodated by Hamed El Attar in the house where Brian Jones stayed when he was in Joujouka on 29th July 1968.
Mallim Ali Attar joined the Masters each morning. At 94 he is the oldest musician in the village; he recalled Brian Gysin and Brian Jones to the delight of all.
On Tuesday morning the sheep were killed for the feasts at the Mosque and the guesthouse. At 9am Kalil the festival driver began ferrying guests from Ksar El Kebir. The first performance of the day took place in a large tent at the musicians’ new guest house.
After lunch everyone visited the sanctuary of Sidi Ahmed Schiech and made donations at his tomb.
Relatives of the Mujdoubie brothers, Mallim Fudal, and all the old Masters of the Brian Jones period attended for the feasts and the festival.
After midnight everyone made their way to the ancient stage, a stone in the centre of the village, where the Masters played for hours non-stop. The Aishas and Boujeloud joined them and danced the night away.
©Joep Bremmers 2008
More photos in the Photos section and on our MySpace Festival blog
Thanks to everyone who came, to everyone who helped especially Jaouad Hilali, Yvonne-Marie Rogez, the Association for Co Operation and Development Sidi Ahmed Sherk de Zahjouka, and the Caid at Tatoft.
A special thanks to all the people of Joujouka who made the festival possible.