MAÂLEM ABDELMALEK EL KADIRI

Abdelmalek El Kadiri hails from Essaouira, the birthplace of the Gnaoua and a crossroads of spirituality. Born into a family steeped in Sufi tradition, attached to the brotherhood founded in the 11th century by Sheikh Moulay Abd Al Qadir Al-Jilani, he was immersed from an early age in a world where music and ritual are one and the same. He began his artistic career in 2000, at the age of 15, trained by several great masters including Maâlem Abdellah Gania, Maâlem Abderrahman Paco, and Al-Charif Regragui. This rigorous training, both spiritual and musical, has developed an artistic sensitivity that is as attuned to his roots as he is to the stage. Winner of the first Festival des Jeunes Talents Gnaoua in 2007, he has established himself as one of the most promising young maâlems of his generation. Since then, he has performed extensively in Morocco and abroad, in Germany, Spain, France, the Emirates, and the UK.