MAÂLEM ABDELAZIZ SOUDANI

Born in 1960 in Essaouira, Abdelaziz Soudani is the third of six children of the legendary Maâlem Hajoub Goubani. Immersed in Gnaoua culture from an early age, he joined his father’s troupe as a child and absorbed the foundations of the traditional repertoire. In 1993, he co-founded the group Tyour Gnaoua with Abdeslam Alikkane—a collective adventure that took him to stages around the globe, from the Vieilles Charrues Festival in France to the Rio de Janeiro Festival in Brazil. 

In 2002, he met guitarist Olivier Owen, with whom he created Gnawa Family X, a bold fusion project blending Gnaoua music with electronic sounds. Within it, Soudani developed a unique percussive style, using both the strings and skin of the guembri to craft a raw, powerful, and deeply rooted sound.

Today, he remains one of Essaouira’s most active torchbearers, passing on the art of Gnaoua music and dance to new generations. At the crossroads of tradition and experimentation, Maâlem Abdelaziz Soudani embodies a living transmission—rooted in freedom, driven by movement.