Rabat will be hosting, from May 10 to 12, 2024, the 26th edition of the Jazz au Challah festival, reads a press release by organizers sent Thursday to Yabiladi. Kicking off on Europe day, May 10, this year's edition promises a blend of European and Moroccan music at the medieval fortified Muslim necropolis of Chellah. The festival will feature a diverse array of talented artists from Europe and Morocco, including German trumpeter Markus Stockhausen accompanied by musician and poet Aziz Sahmaoui. The festival will see the performance of Sarab: French ensemble fuses jazz-rock frenzy with oriental lyricism, joined by the talented qanun player Hiba Mekkaoui. Daniel Garcia, a Spanish virtuoso pianist will be presenting a blend of flamenco, electronica, rock, and Cuban music, collaborating with oud maestro Driss el Maloumi. The festival will also feature MUNSCH Trio, a fusion of urban music and Moroccan folklore and Elise Einarsdotter Ensemble, which will be merging modern jazz with Swedish folk withsinger Léna Willemark and Zahra Regragui. Italy's JEMM will also play during the festival, joined by Maalem Mokhtar Gania and his sons for a tribute to the late Essaouira-based Maalem Mahmoud Gania. The Jazz au Chellah festival will also include workshops for aspiring musicians and singers, led by: Climène Zarkan, vocalist of Sarab, Aziz Sahmaoui, Gnawa singer and multi-instrumentalist and Adrien Lambinet, trombonist and composer. Music afficionados will also have a chance to attend a street concert by instrumental group SALT, with jazz melodies infused with swing, Latin, ska, and cajun.
