Master Musicians of Jajouka News, Events and Announcements

Two performances of the Master Musicians of Jajouka led by the group's hereditary leader, Bachir Attar, are scheduled to be held in Canada in early February 2008:

(1) The Small World Music Society will host The Master Musicians of Jajouka featuring Bachir Attar on Friday, February 1, 2008, at 8:00 P.M., at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, located at 410 Sherbourne Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For ticket information and listings of other groups who will perform at this venue, please visit the official site for the Small World Music Society.

(2) The Hillside Inside Festival will host another performance of The Master Musicians of Jajouka with Bachir Attar on Saturday, February 2, 2008, at the Sleeman Centre; 50 Woolwich Street, East; Woolwich, St. Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Visit the Hillside Inside Festival Web site.

Return to this page later for announcements on future Master Musicians of Jajouka concerts, tours and performances that are now being scheduled for 2008 and for 2009.

The Master Musicians of Jajouka with Bachir Attar (Les Maître Musiciens de Jajouka avec Bachir Attar) performed in Montreal, Canada on November 10, 2007. This was part of the eighth Montreal Arab World Festival, organized by Le Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal (FMA).

The Master Musicians and Bachir Attar travelled from their small village in Jajouka, Morocco to Lisbon, Portugal for a performance on March 31, 2007, the conclusion of a six-day homage to the composer, writer and traveller Paul Bowles, who lived many years in Morocco. The event was organized by the Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisboa. Bachir Attar and the Jajouka musicians were honored to have been invited to participate in CCB's special tribute to Paul Bowles. The large audience cheered them wildly during a standing ovation. 

Bachir Attar and the Master Musicians of Jajouka are being featured in The Hand of Fatima, a new film documentary about New York Times' rock music critic Robert Palmer's 1971 trip to Jajouka, to visit his favorite band. Still in production in 2007, The Hand of Fatima was filmed in Jajouka, Morocco and directed by Palmer's daughter, Augusta Palmer, and produced by Chris Arnold. The cast includes, in addition to Bachir and the musicians, Lee Ranaldo, John Giorno and Anthony DeCurtis. Cinematography is by Juan Carlos Borrero and the sound recording and mixing is by Mike Gassert. This film contains old footage and images of the Master Musicians and Jajouka, as well as interviews and the music of  the Master Musicians of Jajouka and Bachir Attar, among others. It is scheduled to be released in late 2008.

Two other documentary films about the Master Musicians of Jajouka are in production. You may find several video recordings and performances on YouTube.com if you search on Master Musicians of Jajouka or Rolling Stones in Morocco.

Apocalypse Across the Sky, the CD album of music by the Master Musicians of Jajouka with Bachir Attar and produced by Bill Laswell, is available on Apple's iTunes.