MAÂLEM MEHDI EL KARDOUDI

Mehdi El Kerdoudi was born into a family where Gnaoua represented much more than music: it was a living spiritual heritage. His father, Maâlem Abdelmajid El Kerdoudi, taught him the mysteries of the guembri and the foundational rituals of Tagnaouite as a very young child. Stimulated by this privileged transmission, he went on to develop a powerful musicianship, rooted in tradition, yet sensitive to world music. His style is both authentic and inventive, blending Gnaoua trance with sparks of jazz. 

A familiar presence at major venues—from Gnaoua and World Music Festival in Essaouira to international stages—Mehdi Kardoudi draws his audience with high energy, humility, and a capacity to bring the ancestral past into resonance with the now. He is an artist/activist, eager to transmit his knowledge to young musicians, reminding them that Gnaoua is a universal language, a bridge between cultures, and keeper of memory, freedom, and peace.