MAÂLEM ABDESLAM ALIKKANE

Artistic Director of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival of Essaouira, Maâlem Abdeslam Alikkane is one of its founding figures and key initiators. He is also President of the Yerma Gnaoua association and has long been committed to the recognition and international reach of this art form. Specializing in the “marsaoui” style, Maâlem Abdeslam Alikkane is distinguished by his unique mastery of the therapeutic dimension of Gnaoua, deeply rooted in its spiritual tradition. A true ambassador of this heritage, he performs worldwide with his group “Tyour Gnaoua.” He has taken part in numerous international festivals and has shared the stage with major artists such as Peter Gabriel and Ray Lema, with whom he recorded the album “Safi” in 2000. With “Tyour Gnaoua,” he has collaborated with prominent figures from the World and Jazz scenes, including Jaleel Shaw in 2008 and guitarist Sylvain Luc in 2015. In 2017, to mark the Festival’s 20th anniversary, he presented a unique concert resulting from an artistic residency with his long-time collaborator Ray Lema. More recently, he performed at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil and at Troscan in Las Palmas. During the 24th edition of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, he presented a fusion project blending Moroccan, German and Finnish influences, alongside guitarist and composer Torsten de Winkel, trumpeter Sulaiman Hakim and drummer Zouhair Amkas.