From Gnaoua trance to the Andalusian orchestras of Fes and Tetouan: the major genres, the instruments, and where to hear them played live.
Photograph: Monaam Ben Fredj, CC BY-SA 4.0
On UNESCO’s list
Gnaoua (2019), malhun (2023)
Genres here
Six, from Gnaoua to malhun
Free to hear
Jemaa el-Fnaa, every evening
Festival season
May to July
1
A Crossroads You Can Hear
Africa, the Arab world and Europe, all still in the music.
Moroccan music carries every current that has passed through the country. Sub-Saharan rhythms survive in Gnaoua ceremonies. The court music of al-Andalus lives on in the orchestras of Fes and Tetouan. Amazigh communities in the Atlas and the Rif keep singing and drumming traditions that predate the Arab arrival. In the working-class neighbourhoods of Casablanca and Marrakech, Chaabi turns malhun poetry into songs for weddings and street parties.
None of this is kept behind glass. You can hear Gnaoua at sunset in Jemaa el-Fnaa, Andalusian music at a Fes conservatory, Chaabi at a Casablanca wedding and Amazigh drumming at a village celebration in the High Atlas. This guide shows you how to tell the traditions apart and where to hear them.
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Music & Moroccan Identity
Why music matters so much in Moroccan life.
Music in daily life
Taxi drivers play Chaabi and Rai loud. The call to prayer, though not music in the Western sense, uses melodic modes (maqamat) that shape the sound of every city. Wedding parties fill whole neighbourhoods with amplified drums and voices past midnight.
The protest tradition
Nass El Ghiwane, formed in Casablanca around 1970, fused Gnaoua rhythms and Chaabi folk with lyrics about poverty, injustice and identity, and were nicknamed “the Rolling Stones of Africa”. Their stripped-down sound of hand drums, hajhouj (the guembri), banjo and voices set a template for Moroccan protest music. Jil Jilala and Lemchaheb followed the same path.
Modern fusion
Gnaoua-jazz is now a genre of its own, with Hassan Hakmoun and Aziz Sahmaoui playing international jazz festivals. Hoba Hoba Spirit mixes Gnaoua with punk and ska, and a hip-hop scene in Casablanca and Rabat raps in Darija. These sit alongside the old forms rather than replacing them.
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Morocco's Musical Traditions
Six genres, each with its own history, instruments and setting.
1
Gnaoua (Gnawa)
Essaouira, Marrakech, Meknes · Origin: Sub-Saharan African roots, brought by enslaved people
Gnaoua is a spiritual and healing tradition that fuses sub-Saharan African rhythms with Sufi Islam. A performance centres on the maallem (master musician), who plays the guembri, a three-string bass lute covered in skin. Around him, musicians clap heavy iron qraqeb castanets in interlocking patterns while a chorus answers his chanted invocations. A full ceremony, the lila, lasts all night and moves through suites of songs, each tied to a colour, a spirit and an incense. The music builds from slow, hypnotic bass lines to fast climaxes meant to bring on trance.
Inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2019.
Key artists: Maallems Mahmoud Guinia (d. 2015), Hassan Hakmoun, Hamid El Kasri, Mustapha Baqbou
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Andalusian Classical (Al-Ala)
Fes, Tetouan, Rabat, Oujda · Origin: Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), carried to North Africa by refugees
Muslims and Jews leaving al-Andalus carried its court music to North Africa, and in Morocco it became Al-Ala, a refined orchestral form. A nuba (suite) is built from five movements in different rhythms. The ensemble plays oud, rabab, nay, derbouka and tar behind a lead vocalist, and the lyrics draw on classical Arabic poetry about love, nature and longing for the divine. Fes and Tetouan remain the strongest centres, where conservatories still train young musicians.
Key artists: Abdessadeq Chekara, Abdelkrim Rais Orchestra, Orchestre Moulay Ahmed Loukili
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Chaabi
Casablanca, Marrakech, nationwide · Origin: Working-class neighbourhoods of Casablanca and Marrakech
Chaabi means “of the people”. Born in the souks and working-class quarters, it blends malhun poetry with folk melodies and hand-drum rhythms, and it is played loud and shared. A Chaabi band usually has a lead vocalist, bendir, derbouka, a violin and sometimes an oud. The lyrics deal with everyday life: love, hardship, humour and social comment. Chaabi is the backbone of Moroccan wedding music.
Rai began in the port city of Oran in western Algeria and spread into eastern Morocco through the border region around Oujda. The word means “opinion”, and the genre has always carried an edge of rebellion. Modern Rai sets Bedouin vocal styles over synthesizers, drum machines and pop structures. Its lyrics about love, alcohol, heartbreak and frustration made it controversial on both sides of the border. In Morocco it is most popular in the east, and at weddings and clubs everywhere.
Key artists: Algerian stars Cheb Khaled, Cheb Mami and Cheb Hasni; from Oujda, Douzi
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Amazigh (Berber) Music
Atlas Mountains, Souss Valley, Rif Mountains · Origin: Indigenous Amazigh communities across Morocco
Morocco’s three main Amazigh language groups each have their own music. Tashelhit speakers in the High Atlas and Souss perform ahwash, large communal dances where lines of men and women move in step to layered drumming. Tamazight speakers in the Middle Atlas perform ahidous, a tighter, circular dance. Tarifit speakers in the Rif have styles of their own. All three use the bendir, hand-clapping and call-and-response singing, and the music belongs to community gatherings, harvests and weddings.
Meknes, Fes, Marrakech, Sale · Origin: Moroccan sung poetry, 16th century onward
Malhun sits between poetry and music. A poet composes a qasida in Moroccan Arabic; a vocalist then sings it with a small ensemble of oud, swisen (a small lute) and hand drums. The poems are long, intricate and often funny, about love, faith, trade and daily life in the old medina. Meknes is the historical home of malhun.
Inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2023.
Key artists: Haj Houcine Toulali
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Traditional Instruments
Wood, skin, gut, clay and iron, each with a set role in its genre.
Instrument
Heard in
What it is
Guembri (sintir)
Gnaoua
A three-string bass lute with a carved wooden body covered in skin and strung with gut. It drives Gnaoua with deep, resonant bass lines. The maallem plays it, and each instrument is held to have its own spiritual character.
Oud
Andalusian, classical
A pear-shaped, fretless lute with 11 or 13 strings grouped in courses; the European word “lute” comes from the Arabic al-ud. It anchors the Andalusian orchestra and also plays solo and in modern pop. Its microtonal maqam scales take years to master.
Bendir
All genres
A large frame drum with a goatskin head and gut snares stretched across the underside, which give it a buzzing rattle. It turns up in every genre, at communal gatherings and at Sufi dhikr ceremonies.
Qraqeb
Gnaoua
Heavy iron double castanets, each a pair of cupped plates joined by a bar. Gnaoua players clash them in interlocking patterns, laying a dense metallic shimmer over the guembri.
Rabab
Andalusian, Amazigh
A bowed string instrument. The Amazigh rabab has a single string and a raw, reedy tone, and is played by travelling poets (imdyazen). The Andalusian rabab has two strings, a more refined voice and a seat in the classical orchestra.
Derbouka
All genres
A goblet drum of clay or metal, held under one arm or between the knees and struck with both hands. It gives sharp, ringing strokes and deep bass notes, and it is the main rhythm instrument in Chaabi and wedding bands.
Nay
Andalusian, Sufi
An end-blown reed flute with a breathy, haunting tone, prominent in Andalusian orchestras and Sufi music. The player angles the air stream across the open end, which takes practice to master.
Taarija
Chaabi, devotional
A small clay goblet drum with a skin head, played with quick finger patterns for a high, sharp crack. It is a staple of Chaabi, street performance and devotional music at Sufi zawiyas.
The eight instruments you will hear most.
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Where to Hear Live Music
From open-air squares to small cultural cafés.
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Marrakech
Photograph: Grand Parc - Bordeaux, France, CC BY 2.0
Jemaa el-FnaaOpen-air square
Gnaoua circles, Chaabi singers and Amazigh musicians play from sunset. Free to watch; tip if you stop to listen.
Comptoir DarnaRestaurant and lounge
Live Moroccan and international music with dinner, and dance shows.
Café ClockCultural café
Music nights and storytelling (hikayat) evenings in the Kasbah.
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Essaouira
Place Moulay HassanPublic square
Gnaoua musicians often play in the evenings near the port.
TarosRooftop bar
Live music on a terrace overlooking the square and the port.
Dar SouiriCultural centre
Concerts and exhibitions; check the notices posted outside.
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Fes
Dar BathaMuseum and garden
Concerts in the garden during the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music.
Café ClockCultural café
Regular live music nights.
Bab MakinaOpen-air stage
The main outdoor stage of the Fes festival.
Medina streetsStreet music
Itinerant musicians, especially around Bab Bou Jeloud and Talaa Kebira.
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Rabat
OLM SouissiConcert ground
Hosts the biggest Mawazine concerts and other large events.
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Music Festivals Worth Planning Around
The calendar peaks from May to July. Dates move each year; check before you book.
Gnaoua World Music FestivalEssaouira · June
The flagship festival for Gnaoua. Free outdoor stages by the beach and the port pair Gnaoua maallems with jazz, blues and world music artists.
Tip: Book accommodation well ahead; Essaouira fills up during the festival.
Fes Festival of World Sacred MusicFes · Late spring (16–24 May in 2025)
Held in the old city: courtyards, gardens and the Bab Makina open-air stage. The line-up spans Sufi music, Andalusian orchestras, gospel choirs and other sacred traditions from around the world.
Tip: An evening concert at Bab Makina, under the palace walls, is the one to choose.
MawazineRabat · June
One of Africa’s largest music festivals. Stages across Rabat have hosted Rihanna, Stevie Wonder and Shakira alongside Moroccan stars, with international pop through to Chaabi and Rai.
Tip: OLM Souissi takes the biggest international acts.
TimitarAgadir · Varies (December in 2025)
Built around Amazigh music and culture, Timitar brings Amazigh musicians together with world music acts on open-air stages across Agadir.
Tip: Check the year’s dates before you plan around it.
JazzablancaCasablanca · July (2–11 July in 2026)
Casablanca’s jazz festival, with international jazz, soul and funk and Moroccan acts, including Gnaoua-jazz collaborations.
Tip: Pair it with a few days in the city.
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Music Workshops & Lessons
Hands-on sessions for beginners and players alike.
1
Guembri lessons in Essaouira
Some maallems teach privately at home or in their workshop: basic technique, tuning and a traditional piece or two. No experience needed.
2
Oud lessons in Fes
Private teachers offer beginner sessions: how to hold the instrument, right-hand plectrum technique and a simple maqam scale.
3
Percussion in Marrakech
Group and private sessions on bendir, derbouka and taarija, covering the basic patterns of Chaabi and Gnaoua.
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Amazigh music and dance in the Atlas
Village stays in the High Atlas sometimes include an evening of music and dance where guests join the ahwash or ahidous. Ask your guide or guesthouse.
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Etiquette for Live Music
Respect the musicians and the traditions.
1
Tip the musicians
At Jemaa el-Fnaa and other squares, put something in the bowl if you stop to listen. Do not take photos and walk off without tipping.
2
Ask before recording
Some musicians welcome photos and video. Others treat their music as sacred and prefer not to be recorded, especially at Gnaoua ceremonies. Always ask.
3
Respect spiritual ceremonies
If you are invited to a Gnaoua lila, remove your shoes, sit quietly, do not interrupt and do not use flash. These are real spiritual events, not shows.
4
Leave instruments alone
Never pick up a musician’s guembri or oud unless invited. If you want to try, ask.
5
Stay to the end of a piece
At restaurant and café performances, wait for a break between songs before you leave.
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Dress for sacred venues
At a Sufi zawiya or a religious event, cover shoulders and knees. Women may want a headscarf, though it is not always required.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gnaoua music and where can I hear it in Morocco?
Gnaoua (also spelled Gnawa) is a spiritual music tradition rooted in sub-Saharan African rituals brought to Morocco by enslaved people centuries ago. It combines repetitive bass patterns from the guembri lute with iron qraqeb castanets and call-and-response chanting. You can hear it in the evenings at Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech, around Place Moulay Hassan in Essaouira, and at the annual Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira in June.
Is Gnaoua music recognized by UNESCO?
Yes. In 2019, UNESCO inscribed Gnaoua on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The recognition covers the rituals, music, and ceremonies associated with Gnaoua practices across Morocco. Malhun, Morocco’s sung poetry, followed in 2023.
Can I attend a Gnaoua healing ceremony (lila) as a tourist?
Lilas are private all-night spiritual ceremonies and not typically open to casual tourists. Some maallems (master musicians) in Essaouira and Marrakech do invite respectful visitors, usually through a local contact. Ask at your riad. Expect to sit quietly, remove your shoes, and not record unless given explicit permission.
What are the main traditional instruments in Moroccan music?
The core instruments include the guembri (a three-string bass lute used in Gnaoua), the oud (a pear-shaped fretless lute central to Andalusian music), the bendir (a large frame drum with snares), qraqeb (heavy iron castanets), the rabab (a bowed string instrument), the nay (a reed flute), the derbouka (a goblet drum), and the taarija (a small clay drum used in Chaabi music).
Where can I buy authentic Moroccan instruments?
Look for instrument workshops in the medinas of Marrakech, Fes, and Essaouira, where makers sell drums, guembris and ouds they build on site. Prices are negotiable. Always play the instrument before buying, or ask the maker to play it for you, and compare a few workshops first.
What music festivals are worth attending in Morocco?
The Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira (June) is the most accessible, with free outdoor stages. The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music is held in late spring (16–24 May in 2025). Mawazine in Rabat (June) is one of the largest music festivals in Africa. The Timitar Festival in Agadir focuses on Amazigh music; its dates vary. Jazzablanca in Casablanca runs in July.
Can I take music lessons or workshops during my trip?
Yes. Some riads and cultural centres arrange guembri, oud and percussion sessions for beginners, and some Gnaoua maallems in Essaouira teach privately. Ask your riad to arrange a session with a local musician, and agree the price before you start.
What is the difference between Chaabi and Rai music?
Chaabi is Moroccan folk-pop that grew up in the markets and working-class neighbourhoods of Casablanca and Marrakech. It uses traditional instruments like the derbouka and bendir and draws on malhun poetry. Rai originated in western Algeria and crossed into eastern Morocco (the Oujda region). Rai uses more modern instrumentation like synthesizers and drum machines, with lyrics that often address love, freedom, and social frustration. Both are popular at Moroccan weddings.
