Month: January 2023

The Master Musicians of Joujouka play two shows at The Forge, Camden 20-21 June 2023.

For the first time in more than 40 years, the Master Musicians of Joujouka will perform in London – at two just announced shows.

Taking place over 20^th and 21^st June, the Master Musicians of Joujouka will have a residency at new venue The Forge in Camden.

Tickets are on sale now!

“The music of the Master Musicians of Joujouka is not improvised – it has been honed & perfected over many, many years to help the listener access altered states” Jarvis Cocker

“The oldest and most exclusive dance party in the world” Rolling Stone Magazine

The remarkable music played by the Master Musicians of Joujouka, a remote village in the Ahl Srif tribal area south of the Rif in Northern Morocco, is thousands of years old. In the 15th century, when the Sufi saint Sidi Ahmed Schiech arrived in the village, he wrote music for the Masters’ ancestors which could heal disturbed minds. Today’s Masters are blessed with the Baraka or spirit of their saint and use touch and prayer to heal.

Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones travelled to Joujouka in 1968 to record the Masters. Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka was released in 1971, honouring Brian’s memory and exposing a wider audience to the remarkable music of the Masters for the first time.

In January 1973, jazz musician Ornette Coleman recorded with the Masters. A small part of what was recorded was released on the 1975 album Dancing In My Head album. The Master Musicians of Joujouka have performed at the Glastonbury Festival on and off since 1975.

Ahmed El Attar, the Rais (leader) of Master Musicians of Joujouka, said: “The Master Musicians were hoping to come to London in 2021 which would have been the 50th anniversary of our first record produced by Brian Jones coming out. But Coronavirus stopped everything. Our last concerts in London were in 1980 when Rikki Stein brought us on a three-month tour, and we played a week at The Commonwealth Institute. Rikki has helped us and the village for 52 years and this London visit he has arranged as well. It is Baraka, the blessings of Sidi Ahmed Sheikh and the power of Boujeloud that keeps us all together for so long.”

Book tickets now via SeeTickets

Star of Moroccan World Cup side given a hero’s welcome in his mother’s hometown where a football stadium has been named in his honour.

The Master Musicians of Joujouka performed recently at huge public gathering in Ksar El Kebir to welcome Moroccan World Cup legend Achraf Hakimi to his mother’s hometown.

Thousands of soccer fans lined the streets of the city to welcome the returning star – whose performances at the Qatar 2022 World Cup helped the Atlas Lions reach the semi-finals of the competition.

Though he was born in Spain, Hakimi’s mother is from Ksar El Kebir, the nearest city to Joujouka. Hakimi currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain in France.

Paying a visit to Ksar El Kebir on 10^th January, Hakimi was greeted by fans at a reception where the Master Musicians of Joujouka where invited to play their ancient Sufi trance music to soundtrack the occasion.

Hakimi was a key member of the Morocco side throughout their record breaking run in the tournament as the first African and Arab side to reach the semi-final stage.

The 24-year-old right back started in all of the Moroccan side’s World Cup fixtures and memorably scored the penalty shoot spot kick that knocked out Spain in the second round. Hakimi played a key role in wins against Canada, Belgium and Portugal. The side went out of the competition to then cup holders France before a third place play-off encounter with Croatia, with whom they had drawn in the group stages.

Mohammed Al Simo, the president of Ksar El Kebir’s collective council, announced that a soccer stadium in the city would be renamed in honour of their returning hero – the Achraf Hakimi Municipal Stadium.

Hakimi told press: “I am so happy to be with you today. I thank all the town of Ksar El Kebir. I am very happy to see the mayor of the city, who did good things. We keep on working for the good of Morocco’s culture and we have to keep working for the good of Moroccans. I am happy here. This is my mother’s town, and I spent a lot of time here when I was a kid. Thank you everybody.”

A city council statement said the purpose of the reception was to continue “to celebrate the historic achievement of the Moroccan National Football Team in the Qatar 2022 World Cup”.

Like many people all over Morocco and beyond, the Master Musicians were cheering on the Atlas Lions at the recent World Cup.

Joujouka 23 Festival 2-4 June 2023

The Master Musicians of Joujouka annual Festival returns in 2023 with a limited number of 50 places – tickets available now.

The festival begins on Friday, 2nd June 2023 with pick up at the nearest city of Ksar El Kebir around noon and by arrangement drop-off on the morning of Monday, 5th June back to the train station at Ksar El Kebir.

More information about Joujouka 23 

To book your tickets for Joujouka 23 click below

Joujouka 23

Deposit x 1 non refundable €100.00 EUR deposit x 2 non refundable €200.00 EUR Full ticket early bird refundable minus deposit until 15 March €485.00 EUR 2 x Full ticket early bird deposit 200 non refundable €970.00 EUR

First screening of 90 minute documentary to be shown on 3 January.

The Master Musicians of Joujouka are delighted to announce the first showing of a 90 minute documentary.

Sound Trip: Morocco Journey to Joujouka airs on NHK BS Premium and NHK BS 4K in Japan on Tuesday, 3 January at 22.30.

The documentary, directed by Yoriko Koizumi, features a fully immersive 360° sound and vision.

Shot over three weeks in October 2022 the documentary starts in Tangier and features footage from two weeks of shooting within Joujouka. 

We will update when the show will be broadcast in other territories. 

Watch a preview trailer for the series here

A statement from NHK said: “A new travel program with immersive audio. Visit Morocco in North Africa to hear the legendary music of Joujouka. You can enjoy a more immersive feeling with headphones.

“A new travel program using the audio playback technology ‘Immersive Audio’. Viewers are surrounded by 360° stereophonic sound. Visit Morocco in North Africa. Travel to the exotic port city of Tangier and the magical ritual festival of Joujouka, an unexplored village that Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones admired. Morocco, where music is linked to religion, is still alive today. What kind of prayers can people put into music?”

Read more via NHK

The Master Musicians of Joujouka annual Festival returns in 2023 with a limited number of 50 places – tickets available now.

The festival begins on Friday, 2nd June 2023 with pick up at the nearest city of Ksar El Kebir around noon and by arrangement drop-off on the morning of Monday, 5th June back to the train station at Ksar El Kebir.

More information about Joujouka 23 

To book your tickets for Joujouka 23 click below

Joujouka 23

Deposit x 1 non refundable €100.00 EURdeposit x 2 non refundable €200.00 EURFull ticket early bird refundable minus deposit until 15 March €485.00 EUR2 x Full ticket early bird deposit 200 non refundable €970.00 EUR