Month: March 2021

Jarvis Cocker, founder and leader of Pulp, who visited the village in 2017 to record a binaural episode of his BBC Radio 4 show Wireless Nights, recommends putting “the needle on the record and prepare to take the journey of a lifetime”.

Previewing the new Master Musicians of Joujouka LP, he said: “In January 2017 I had one of the most intense musical experiences of my life. I travelled to Morocco to witness the Master Musicians of Joujouka play in the village they call their home.

“Their performance lasted a whole evening, starting relatively gently indoors then moving outside and building to an unforgettable climax featuring a visitation from Boujeloud whilst a bonfire raged and the full moon hung in the sky above. It was a truly transcendental moment. Listen to this record and tap into that same power.

“The music of the musicians of Joujouka is not improvised – it has been honed and perfected over many, many years to help the listener access altered states. The performance captured here is structured in exactly the same manner as the one I witnessed. Put the needle on the record and prepare to take the journey of a lifetime.”

You can listen to Jarvis’ visits to Joujouka on Wireless Nights: Joujouka at the BBC Sounds website here

In 2011, following their headline slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury the Master Musicians of Joujouka slept in tepees on the festival campsite. The next day they woke up in a field of mud. That evening they climbed a hill to the Crow’s Nest to play a set, while Pulp played their unannounced secret headline show on The Park Stage. The Master Musicians’ Crow’s Nest show was to begin the moment Pulp ended their show.  Looking down the hill as 70,000 fans with their hands in the air and singing along to the chorus of ‘Common People’ during the final encore, Ahmed El Attar, leader of the Master Musicians of Joujouka turned to Live in Paris producer Frank Rynne and said, “Hadhi musiqa. Hadha Mallim.” (“That’s music. That’s a Master.”).

The new album from The Master Musicians of Joujouka Live in Paris will be released by Unlistenable Records on 23^rd April.

The album was recorded at France’s leading modern art museum Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris in September 2016 as the final concert linked to their Beat Generation exhibition and will be available as a 2xLP and download on Unlistenable Records via Bandcamp.

A first listen of the track ‘Jahjouka I Calihone’ is available now – visit the Unlistenable Records Bandcamp page

Live in Paris is available to pre-order for download and digital streaming in addition to a special cassette release limited to 150 copies. News on the double vinyl release to follow.

Read more Jarvis Cocker Wireless Nights binaural recordings Master Musicians of Joujouka on BBC Radio 4

Tune in to Worldwide FM this weekend to hear excerpts from the Master Musicians of Joujouka’s new LP Live in Paris.

From Friday, 26^th March to Sunday, 28^th March the Beat Hotel will be taking over the airwaves with a Morocco Special on Worldwide FM.

Moroccan music will be featured on three special shows over three days this weekend, including excerpts from the upcoming LP from the Master Musicians of Joujouka – Live in Paris.

The Master Musicians of Joujouka will be featured on the Beat Hotel x WWFM Weekender on Sunday, 28^th March – to be broadcast from 3pm to 7pm (BST).

A statement from the Beat Hotel said: “Sufi trance troupe, Master Musicians of Joujouka are descendants of Burroughs’ in-house band at Cafe 1001 in Tangiers in the 1950s. We’re excited to share an excerpt from their forthcoming live album.”

They added: “Remember when March meant gathering poolside, between the prickly pears, for a weekend of ritual celebration? Our chance to dance under the rose-red desert sky?

“To mark the moment, we’ve joined forces with our friends at Worldwide FM, to take you on a trip back south.

“Three shows over three days, celebrating the sounds of Morocco and beyond…”

The series of broadcasts includes sets from Gilles Peterson selecting music by Moroccan artists from his collection, plus live sets from Moulay Ahmed El Hassani, Coco Em and Esa & Mim Suleiman.

Beat Hotel x WWFM Weekender – More information on the Beat Hotel website

The radio show follows the Master Musicians of Joujouka appearance at the 2019 Beat Hotel Festival in Marrakesh.

The roots of the Beat Hotel also have close connections with the Master Musicians – named for the famed 9 Git-Le-Couer address Paris base of Brion Gysin and William S. Burroughs in the 1950s and 60s following their time spent in Morocco working with the Master Musicians.

Before moving to Paris, Gysin opened The 1001 Nights restaurant in Tangier, where the Master Musicians of Joujouka held a residency as the house band.

This incarnation of the Beat Hotel was launched at Glastonbury Festival in the UK in 2011 – the same year the Master Musicians of Joujouka opened the festival on the Pyramid Stage. At their first event in Morocco, the Beat Hotel continued the literary and artistic creativity associated with its namesake.

Tune in at www.worldwidefm.net from 9.15am (BST) on Friday, 26th March

Photo gallery from the Master Musicians of Joujouka appearance at the 2019 Beat Hotel Festival in Marrakesh here

Listen to ‘Jahjouka I Calihone’ from Live in Paris here

Live in Paris is released on 23^rd April by Unlistenable Records

Live in Paris available to pre-order digitally now on Unlistenable Records.

The new double vinyl LP from The Master Musicians of Joujouka Live in Paris will be released on 23rd April.

The album was recorded at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 2016 and will be available as a 2xLP.

‘Jahjouka I Calihone’ is available now as a preview – visit the Unlistenable Records Bandcamp page.

Live in Paris is available to pre-order for download and digital streaming. 

News on the double vinyl release to follow.

For more information visit the Unlistenable Records Bandcamp page