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The second edition of Zamane Festival is set to take place from 01 – 03 December . 2023 in M’hamid El Ghizlane
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.
Watch this teaser video to discover what you can expect at the 2023 edition!
Interested in attending and booking packages? Please email our team at zamane@playingforchange.org!
Watch Zamane Director and Joudour Sahara President Halim Sbai discuss the multi-cultural heritage of the M’hamid region, and the multi-faceted threats this heritage faces
Zamane Festival is an initiative developed by Joudour Sahara to continue the active preservation of these local heritages, providing economic opportunity to more than 70 local musicians, as well as an international platform to expose ancestral musics with our partner Playing For Change Foundation
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
