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Build for the Future

The third edition of Zamane Festival is set to take place from 29 November – 01 December 2024 in M’hamid El Ghizlane

Explore Ancient Sounds

The Zamane Festival is a celebration of the ancient and diverse music styles found throughout the Southern Draa Valley in southeastern Morocco, featuring dozens of traditional musicians representing Gnawan, Arab, Amazigh, and Daraoua cultures

This year, special guest and Grammy – nominated band Bombino will join Zamane Festival! Contact us to book your package now and visit M’hamid El Ghizlane from November 29 – December 1!

Interested in attending and booking packages? Please email our team at zamane@playingforchange.org!

Zamane 2023 Recap

The 2nd edition of Zamane Festival saw more than 115 artists from three continents perform, including from Playing For Change Foundation programs in Mali and Rwanda. Playing For Change musicians Roberto Luti and Luke Winslow King also visited for special performances with local and international musicans 

Watch this recap video to discover what took place at the second edition of Zamane Festival from 01 – 03 December 2023!

Bridging Past & Present

Watch this performance captured during the 2023 edition of Zamane Festival of traditional Moroccan duo Khadija Ment Souih and Sidi Ahmed fusing traditional Hassani music with blues music from Roberto Luti of Playing For Change

Visit the 2024 edition of Zamane to see more captivating performances just like this!

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Zamane Prices and Packages

Please inquire about private festival activities with the Zamane team. There are several options to enjoy festival activities:

Daily tickets 200 dh per day | 350 dh for two days | 500 dh for three days

We offer customizable festival packages that include preparing desert tents in the sand dunes of the Zamane site, as well as local hotel accommodations. Prices vary depending on number of people, number of days, and lodging site. Three nights with full accommodations at the Zamane site ranges around 3900 dh total. Three nights with full accommodations at a local hotel ranges around 3500 dh total. Please contact our booking team at zamane@playingforchange.org to customize your package! We can accomodate local transportation to/from Zagora as well as desert tour options. 

Where is Zamane Festival?

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

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2022 Recap

The Zamane Festival is a celebration of the ancient and diverse music styles found throughout the Southern Draa Valley in southeastern Morocco, featuring local traditional musicians and inviting guests from Mali, Ghana, and the United States. Watch this recap video to discover the events that took place at the first edition of Zamane Festival from September 23 – 25, 2022

2022 Photo Highlights

Meet International Artists Participating

Joudour Sahara is very excited this year to host musicians from PFCF music schools in Mali and Ghana, as well as American ensemble Fragility Etudes, who will be performing a collaborative set with local traditional musicians

See the video to discover the artists

Where is Zamane Festival?

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

To Preserve the Environment is to Preserve Culture

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 believe 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 

Additional support provided by the Canadian Embassy to Morocco and Mauritania through the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives

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Program Information

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

17:00 Traditional performances : Ahidous in Ksar Oulad Driss | Akalal in Ksar Oulad Youssef | Rokba in Ksar M’hamid | Ganga at Joudour Sahara site 

19:00 Playing For Change Africa at Joudour Sahara Site : Group Kirina (Mali) | Bizung Dancers and Drummers (Ghana) | Joudour Sahara Group

20:00 The Stage in Center of M’hamid El Ghizlane : Traditional Groups Chamra and Ahidous | Guelmim-Oued Noun Groups Hassani and Guedra | Noujoum Sahara | Said Taragalte

23:00 Star-gazing and acoustic performances around campfire

Sunday 25.9

11:00 Conference on Culture and the Environment

13:00 Lunch (competition of best traditional couscous made by local women) at the Joudour Sahara site

17:00 Tree Planting at Joudour Sahara site accompanied by traditional songs

18:00 Traditional performances by Groups Chamra and Ahidous in the neighboring dunes of the Joudour Sahara site

19:00 Evening residencies at the Joudour Sahara site : Guelmim-Oued Noun Group Hassani | Playing For Change Africa | Group Fragility Etudes (USA) with local artists

21:00 The Stage in Center of M’hamid El Ghizlane | Traditional Groups Rokba, Akalal, and Ganga | Joudour Sahara Group

Booking Packages

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

Package Zamane

Traditional Saharan Experience
MAD 3400 4 Nights
  • Festival performances
  • Festival shuttles
  • Sleep in a bivouac in the sand dunes
  • Meals included
Limited

Package Star

Stay in a 4-Star Hotel
MAD 4000 4 Nights
  • Festival performances
  • Festival shuttles
  • 4-star hotel
  • Meals included

Package Standard

Tradition + Comfort
MAD 3000 4 Nights
  • Festival performances
  • Festival shuttles
  • 3-star hotel
  • Meals included

Weekend Ticket

Daily or Weekend Tickets
MAD 550 Weekend
  • Access to performances
  • Access to local shuttles
Learn about the Artists

Slide draaheritage.org Visit Site Meet the artists on our a digital archive
Click the photo to go to www.draaheritage.org to meet the artists
Take a Tour of the Past, Present, and Future

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

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Google Maps of M’hamid El Ghizlane

Zamane Festival is made possible with support from the following partners:

Peace & Social Cohesion through music