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Come visit the Zamane Festival of Traditional Music and Dance in M’hamid El Ghizlane from September 23 – 25 . 2022
The Zamane Festival is a celebration of the ancient and diverse music styles found throughout the Southern Draa Valley in southeastern Morocco, including: Ganga, Akalal and Def, Rokba, Ahidous, and Chamra, as well as visiting traditional musicians from Mali and Ghana
Watch this teaser trailer to meet the artists and discover what you will find at Zamane Festival from September 23 – 25, 2022
During Zamane Festival, you will see these traditional music styles in the contexts of their natural environments and surroundings of the stunning M’hamid Oasis, visiting: Ksar Oulad Driss | Ksar M’hamid | Ksar Zouiat L’hna | Ksar Oulad M’haya
Hotels booked through our packages are located in Centre M’hamid El Ghizlane. Hourly shuttles will bring festival-goers to the event sites each day
View images of the Joudour Sahara Center for Music & Ecology site and a local map of M’hamid El Ghizlane and festival sites
Package Zamane holders will stay in the sand dunes in close proximity to the Joudour Sahara site
During Zamane Festival, you will see these traditional music styles in the contexts of their natural environments and surroundings of the stunning M’hamid Oasis, visiting: Ksar Oulad Driss | Ksar M’hamid | Ksar Zouiat L’hna | Ksar Oulad M’haya
Hotels booked through our packages are located in Centre M’hamid El Ghizlane. Hourly shuttles will bring festival-goers to the event sites each day
Package Zamane holders will stay in the sand dunes in close proximity to the Joudour Sahara site
Zamane Festival’s mission is to highlight both the immense cultural and environment wealth in the Southern Draa Valley, while also bringing issues like environmental degradation and a loss of ancestral knowledges to the forefront. Joudour Sahara and our partner Sahara Roots Foundation believee that cultural preservation and environmental conservation are intimately intertwined, and in this region must be viewed as one in the same. Come to Zamane Festival and see how you can support these efforts
Official Zamane events to take place from September 23 – 25. We encourage and recommend arrival on the 22 for an intimate evening of acoustic and traditional performances around the campfire on the site of the Joudour Sahara Center for Music and Ecology
Friday 23.9
11:00 Press Conference & inauguration of photo exhibit celebrating the history of M’hamid El Ghizlane at the Joudour Sahara Cultural Cafe in Centre M’hamid El Ghizlane
17:00 Opening Ceremony at the Joudour Sahara Center for Music and Ecology site| Presentation of partners, institutions, and artists | Traditional performances
20:00 Poetic evening at the Joudour Sahara site and debates on the theme “Role of Poetry in Nomadic Culture” in the presence of Moroccan, Algerian, and Mauritanian poets
22:00 Star-gazing and acoustic performances around campfire
Saturday 24.9
11:00 Oasis walk between Ksar M’hamid and Ksar Oulad M’haya | Debates on desertification, climate change, and exchanges with local populations
13:00 Lunch with local community at the Joudour Sahara site
15:00 Architectural tour of local Ksour (old villages of the oasis) with Aziza Chaouni
16:00 Traditional performances among Moroccan, Malian, Algerian, and Ghanaian musicians and dancers at the Joudour Sahara site
20:00 Traditional songs at the Joudour Sahara site | Concert by Joudour Sahara youth | Dinner
23:00 Star-gazing and acoustic performances around campfire
Sunday 25.9
11:00 Conference on Culture and the Environment
12:30 Tree planting accompanied by traditional songs
14:00 Lunch (competition of best traditional couscous made by local women) at the Joudour Sahara site
16:00 Traditional performances in Ksar Oulad M’haya, Ksar Zaouiat L’hna and Ksar M’hamid by Akalal and Def, Rokba, Ganga, Ahidous, and Chamra musicians and dancers | Performance by guests of honor Guedra musicians from Guelmim-Ouednoun region
20:00 Traditional chants at the Joudour Sahara site | Concert by Joudour Sahara youth | Dinner
22:00 Closing ceremonies | Star-gazing and acoustic performances around campfire
Find a selection of packages below to cater your festival experience. We recommend arriving on Thursday, September 22 for an intimate evening on the festival site before the official opening ceremonies on Friday, September 23
These packages do not include transportation costs from Zagora. We recommend arriving in M’hamid via:
Zagora Airport (OZG) | Ouarzazate Airport (OZZ) | Errachidia Airport (ERH)
Upon request, we would be pleased to arrange transportation and ciruit options for those looking to explore the region before or after the festival
For those purchasing the Weekend Ticket or Daily Tickets, food tickets can be bought on site for 15 euro / meal
We are pleased to accommodate special requests. Please email zamane@playingforchange.org for such requests
Joudour Sahara co-founder and award-winning architect Aziza Chaouni will lead architectural walks of the ancient villages Ksar Zaouiat L’hna and Ksar Oulad M’haya. Aziza will provide a masterclass on local architecture that has stood for centuries, on desertification that threatens the livelihoods of inhabitants, and on her own architectural innovations and anti-desertification strategies to support the livelihoods of future generations. More information on the Architectural Walks coming soon
