Emerging generation of Gnaoua artists celebrated in Yerma Gnaoua first edition 

The first edition of the Yerma Gnawa Association tour came to an end after achieving all its goals, from training to awareness, to celebrating great Gnawa artists as well as the rising generation of emerging talents.

The association’s first tour was organized from November 26 to December 15 and was met with great success among the ranks of Gnaoua artists and lovers of Gnaoui art in the four regions where it traveled, Zagora, Agadir, Tangiers, and Meknes.

Artists of the new generation and senior Gnaoua teachers in these cities were happy with the opportunity to present their ancient art in front of their local audiences, who attended in large numbers to discover the talent of the young heirs of Gnaoua art and to celebrate the paths of the great guardians of the memory of this intangible art included in the UNESCO list.

The four Gnaoui nights, which were arranged by ancient customs to honor ten notable local figures who performed alongside up-and-coming talent, were attended by no fewer than 1,200 spectators and 150 Gnaoui artists. This unique and authentic heritage, which is dedicated to preserving and spreading its influence, is what inspired the young performers.

In addition to celebrating the ancient and living art of Gnawa, this first tour of the Yerma Gnawa Association was an opportunity to raise awareness among artists in these four regions about improving their working conditions.

In collaboration with the National Social Security Fund and the Moroccan Office for Copyright and Related Rights (BMDA), four subject seminars took place as pat of the initiative. Through these workshops, Gnawa artists were able to learn more about the process of obtaining an artist card, registering for social coverage, copyright, and heritage protection.

The success of this first edition reinforces the association’s desire to continue its work in favor of preserving Gnawa art and to include its various activities and initiatives within the framework of a comprehensive strategy that aspires to establish a deep and continuous dynamism to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable radiance of this precious heritage.

Since its establishment in 2009, the Yerma Gnaoua Association has been actively working to protect and promote Gnaoua art and culture, both in Morocco and internationally, through various initiatives. 

In this context, the association published “An Anthology of Gnaoua Music” in 2014, and took the initiative to register Gnawa art with UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture as intangible heritage.

It also actively participates, every year, in organizing the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, held in Essaouira.