Joudour Sahara

The Joudour Sahara Music Program is located in M’hamid el Ghizlane, the last oasis town in the historic southern Draa Valley in southeastern Morocco, a key stop along the salt and gold caravan routes for nomads coming from Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Algeria, and further south from other regions of Africa. Over centuries these nomadic groups settled throughout the region, and today a vibrant spectrum of cultures and peoples still reside in the ancient kasbahs of their ancestors.
The music program focuses on preserving this rich cultural heritage, holding weekly traditional music classes among the Chamra, Ganga, Ahidous, and Rokba music traditions, reaching up to 60 youth through traditional programming. Local musicians also offer modern music workshops for youth, through the popular Saharan Blues style of music made famous by Ali Farka Toure and Tinariwen from Mali.