Jazz à Rabat Festival: A Unique Musical Experience
The 28th edition of Jazz à Rabat, a prestigious festival organized by the European Union in Morocco in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, will take place from September 24 to 26, 2026, at the amphitheater of Hassan II Park. This year’s festival promises an exciting lineup featuring three evenings of concerts and never-before-seen musical creations, bringing together six European ensembles and six Moroccan projects designed specifically for this event. The festival aims to showcase bold musical encounters that blend European jazz with Moroccan music, embodying the festival's core spirit of dialogue, diversity, and shared musical creativity, as emphasized in an official statement.
A Diverse Lineup of Artists
The opening night will kick off with the Amara Quartet, a Portuguese all-female ensemble that offers a contemporary take on fado, characterized by a unique instrumentation of vocals, accordion, classical guitar, and cello. They will collaborate with Khalid Kouhen, a Moroccan percussionist and composer whose artistic journey is enriched by a variety of musical traditions, from Indian tablas to Brazilian percussion. Following this, the evening will feature Thérapie de Couple, a group composed of six French and German artists who humorously and inventively explore Franco-German relations. This sextet will share the stage with the Mohamed El Menjra STVNK Quintet, a project that sits at the intersection of Moroccan musical heritage, jazz, improvisational music, and Latin influences.
The second evening will welcome the Herak | Bulatkin Quartet, whose music draws inspiration from Slavic and Romani traditions, impressionistic classical music, and Balkan rhythms. They will collaborate with Hicham Telmoudi, a violinist, composer, and arranger known for his dedication to showcasing Moroccan musical heritage. The Belgian group NØ Steam will also perform, merging jazz, funk, and hip-hop in their innovative soundscape, which will meet the Sara Moullablad Quartet, a project that blends Moroccan Darija, jazz, Brazilian samba, and chaabi influences.
The festival’s closing night will highlight Ulrich Drechsler’s Azure Trio, an Austrian group that champions “danceable jazz,” focused on club music and driven by powerful improvisations. They will engage with the Younès Fakhar "Tamzaj" Quartet, a project centered on dialogue between Moroccan heritage and global musical styles. Additionally, the festival's finale will feature the Antonio Lizana Quintet, a notable figure in the Spanish flamenco jazz scene, alongside the Abir El Abed Sextet. These two groups will create a unique performance that intertwines Arab-Andalusian traditions, flamenco, blues, and Gnaoua sounds, fostering a cultural dialogue.
Beyond the concerts at the amphitheater, Jazz à Rabat will also offer two masterclasses at the Cultural Center Les Étoiles de Sidi Moumen, designed to be moments of transmission, exchange, and practice surrounding jazz and its intersections with other musical genres. On Friday, September 25, from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM, German saxophonist Daniel Erdmann will lead a masterclass titled "Liberty, Jazz, and Improvisation." From 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, M’hamed El Menjra will host a second session focusing on "Jazz and Moroccan Music: An Approach to Fusion."
As reported by snrtnews.com.
