Essaouira to host Gnaoua and World Music Festival

Top world spiritual musicians are expected to turn out at the 8th Gnaoua and World Music Festival slated for June 23 to 26.

In a unique moment of spiritual celebration, Essaouira (central Morocco) will live for four days on the vibrations of musical bands emanating from the five corners of the globe to sing a hymn to life.

Gnaoua Maalems' Guembris and crotales will echo in the imperial city of Essaouira in symbiosis with Jazz, Rock and other universal musical rhythms.

Music connoisseurs will discover the spiritual world of "Jeel" -Arab Pop- creator, Egyptian Fathi Salama who will render his most sincere songs at the festival along with Egyptian Gnaoua musicians.

The festival is a unique moment of coexistence while voices bridge between East and West worlds. The Thalweg Band, a Berber-Celtic mixture, is a token to Music's magic and universality.

The Bozilo Jazz trio, mustering a Serbian pianist, a French-Algerian drummer and a French saxophonist playing Afro-American, Slaves and Maghreban sounds sings for a world without frontiers.

The festival will be closed by a concert given by the Grammy Awards 2005, the Senegalese star, Youssou N'Dour.