To share passion for music is to play jazz in Chellah, the site is historic and the music is anthological. Chellah, the old historical city of Merinids in Morocco, Rabat hosts a jazz festival every year in June. Musicians come from all around Europe to meet Moroccan musicians for an unprecedented encounter where music blooms with eagerness and passion from both sides.
The festival started back in 1996 from a European Union initiative to substantiate cultural openness with Morocco. All over the years, the cultural tolerance idea went further when Majid Bekkas, the Moroccan Gnawi and musicologist, was appointed at the head of the artistic committee of the festival. Indeed, right after his nomination, he materialized the cultural encounter into the fusion of Moroccan music with its European counterpart. The festival soon became the site of musical creativity so much so this year I was happy to hear one of the organizers say that his wish “in some years maybe people will say ”I'm playing the 'chellah jazz' as a musical genre or concept.”
The concept of the festival is classic and agreeable. Two European jazz bands come to the scene respectively and one of them is invited to play with a Moroccan renowned musician or band. Moroccan musicians usually play authentically indigenous instruments ranging from Hajhouj, Guembri, krakab (castanets), Derbouka, bendir, or luth, violin, etc... blended together with piano, drums, double bass sax or trumpet; and the result is just wonderful. The rhythm swings from Jazz basic bass, to Gnawi Hajhouj similar tone. The texture is strong at times and smooth in transitions and solos, while the form is a melting pot of colors and tones pregnant with different feelings, origins and reactions punctuated with emotions from both parts. I've witnessed a subjugated audience of Moroccans and foreigners stunned by the richness of tones and vivacity of artists on stage; hence the dialogue reaches the audience who enters, in a highly intimate setting, in a dialogue with artists imposing not only the rhythm with claps and cheers, but also the length of concerts.
The 2010 edition was memorable enough as the 15th anniversary, where the closing concert gathered all Moroccan artists who fused with European jazzmen for the five days of the festival to play with Majid Bekkas special trio. The audience could not but break the rules of Jazz gallantry and stand for the entire performance as if in a rock concert. A new style was born that day; Chellah Jazz.
