POWERFUL WOMEN, LIVING MEMORIES

The daughter of Maâlem Rachid Hamzaoui, Asmaa Hamzaoui has used her talent and determination to open up a feminine space in a tradition that has long been masculine. With her group Bnat Timbouktou, she has reinvented Tagnaouite music for women, tackling profound themes such as exile, roots, and memory. Her deep voice, stage presence, and confident mastery of the guembri have made her a major figure of the Gnaoua revival.
For this 26th edition, she will share the stage with Rokia Koné, a Malian singer whose voice resonates with force and conviction. Originally from Ségou and known as ‘the Rose of Bamako’, Rokia Koné embodies the power of great African voices. She is a member of Les Amazones d’Afrique (Amazons of Africa) , and made her world debut with Bamanan, blending her Mandingo roots with modern influences: profound, moving, intense.  

Since its inception, the Gnaoua Festival has always honoured the great female voices of Africa, fusing them with the Maâlems —figures such as Oumou Sangaré and Fatoumata Diawara come to mind. This new duo continues in this contemporary tradition, between transmission, musical sisterhood, and the fusion of heritage.