«Morocco, the Road of Music», a captivating documentary available on TV5MONDE+, takes viewers on a vibrant journey through the diverse musical landscapes of the Kingdom, showcasing the rich tapestry of rhythms and melodies that define Morocco's artistic heritage. Directed by Donat Lefebvre and Jérémie Saint-Jean, the film explores how these ancestral sounds continue to evolve, embracing new influences while remaining deeply rooted in the country's cultural identity. In the style of a musical road movie, the documentary «Morocco, the Road of Music», available on TV5MONDE+, offers a journey through the cultures and regions of the Kingdom, guided by the musical and artistic heritage unique to each area. Recently shared widely on social media, excerpts from the film highlight the evolution of these expressions passed down through generations, shaped by local and foreign influences, changing practices, and shifting social norms. The documentary shows that «music is omnipresent in Morocco», whether in Rabat, Essaouira, Fez, Meknes, Chefchaouen, Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains, or deep into the Sahara. This musical odyssey offers an initiatory journey through imperial cities, bustling souks, and the worlds of Amazigh, Sahrawi, Gnawa, and Andalusian musicians. It faithfully reconstructs much of the mosaic of expressions that form the unique richness of Morocco's ancient artistic identity, mixing vibrant rhythms with cathartic or more melodic songs. This diversity of styles itself reflects the fusion of cultures that has shaped Morocco's shared heritage. Among the most emblematic forms are Andalusian music, born from centuries of exchange with Iberian and Arab-Andalusian traditions; Gnawa music, rooted in practices carried by the descendants of enslaved populations from the 11th century onward; and the Hadra, a lyrical and spiritual expression intimately tied to Chefchaouen. Directed by Donat Lefebvre and Jérémie Saint-Jean, the film retraces regional cultures through their musical traditions, highlighting a remarkably rich sonic heritage whose transmission defies time. It also reveals how ancestral cultures continuously reinvent themselves, nourished by their openness to new influences that eventually become part of them, expanding and enriching these traditions while helping them transcend boundaries. Artistic expressions that evolve with society The documentary also sheds light on the intricate links between history, sociology, political developments, and artistic creation. Beyond music alone, it explores how artistic practice has opened to diversity and to women's voices, through testimonies from female artists, researchers, and experts. They explain how this inclusion has further enriched regional musical legacies. Ultimately, the film conveys the idea that music is perhaps the artistic expression that best embodies the spirit of communion—spontaneous, collective, and deeply moving. Music is everywhere in Morocco: «on the street, on café terraces, at weddings, births, and circumcisions». It accompanies both joyous celebrations and religious rituals, reflecting the public's appetite for live performance and shared emotional experience. Music is thus a cultural practice for all, an expression inseparable from daily life.
