Morocco's 27th Gnaoua and World Music Festival opened in Essaouira with a parade by Gnaoua brotherhoods through the city's medina, Africanews reported.
The annual event, founded in 1998, has grown into an international platform for Gnaoua music and collaborations with artists from other traditions. This year's programme included Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona and a performance pairing young Gnaoua master Mehdi Qamoum with the Harlem Spirit of Gospel choir.
The reporting describes Gnaoua music as rooted in communities connected to sub-Saharan Africa and recognised as part of Morocco's cultural heritage. Performers spoke of shared rhythms and a tradition shaped by cultural memory and exchange.
The festival has become both a celebration of Moroccan music and a meeting point for artists exploring African roots across borders.
Morocco's Gnaoua festival celebrates African roots through music
Essaouira's 27th Gnaoua and World Music Festival opened with a parade and performances linking Moroccan tradition to African and global sounds.
A Gnawa musician plays in Marrakech; an archival illustrative image, not a photograph from the 2026 Essaouira festival.
Photo taken by Ahron de Leeuw · CC BY 2.0Reporting credit: Africanews · Original source ↗
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