Moroccan music is a mix of Amazigh, Arab, Andalusian and West African traditions. The main styles are Amazigh folk music, Andalusian classical music, Malhun, Gnawa, chaabi, reggada, dakka marrakchia and the Hassani music of the south. The easiest place to hear it live is Jemaa el-Fna square in Marrakech, and the best known festival is the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira every June.
Amazigh (Berber) Music
Amazigh music is the oldest layer of Moroccan music, rooted in the communities of the Atlas Mountains, the Sous and the south. Much of it is collective: in ahwash, from the Ouarzazate region, the Draa Valley and the Sous, villagers sing, dance and drum together, and in ahidous, from the Middle and Eastern High Atlas, men and women dance shoulder to shoulder in long lines while answering each other in song. The rways are wandering poet singers who perform Amazigh poetry with string instruments and percussion.
Andalusian Classical Music
Andalusian classical music, called al-Ala, grew out of the music of al-Andalus, Muslim Spain, between the 9th and 15th centuries and came to Morocco with the families who left Spain. It is refined and slow to unfold, sung to poetry by Andalusian poets, and it is still closely tied to cities such as Fes, Tetouan, Meknes, Rabat and Oujda. Read more in our guide to the imperial cities of Morocco.
Malhun
Malhun is sung poetry set to music, an urban art closely tied to Meknes, Fes, Salé, Tetouan and Oujda. The poems are sung in a Moroccan Arabic dialect, and sometimes in Hebrew, with the lute, violin, rebab and small drums. UNESCO added Malhun to its intangible heritage list in 2023.
Reggada Music
Reggada comes from the Beni Znassen region of northeast Morocco, around Oujda and Berkane. It is a lively, drum-driven music and dance, and it is a favorite at weddings and celebrations in the east of the country.
Gnawa Music
Gnawa is a spiritual music of West African origin, brought to Morocco by people from sub-Saharan Africa and closely associated today with Essaouira and Marrakech. Its sound comes from the gimbri, a three-string bass lute, the clatter of qraqeb, large metal castanets, and big drums. Traditionally it is performed at a lila, an all-night ceremony of music, dance and incense, and in 2019 UNESCO added Gnawa to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Every June, Essaouira hosts the Gnaoua World Music Festival, founded in 1998, where Gnawa masters play alongside jazz, rock and world musicians, and many concerts are free. Read our guide to visiting Essaouira.
Chaabi and Fusion
Chaabi, meaning popular, is the music of the people: it grew from Moroccan folk forms, was first played in markets and is now heard at almost every wedding and family celebration. Its roots include aita, a rural sung style whose name means call or lament, from the countryside of Doukkala, Abda, Chaouia and Rehamna. If you go to a Moroccan wedding, expect chaabi to keep everyone dancing.
In the 1970s, groups such as Nass El Ghiwane and Jil Jilala brought folk rhythms and Gnawa influences into modern songs and became icons of Moroccan music. Rai, which began in neighboring Algeria, is also hugely popular in Moroccan cities.
Dakka Marrakchia
Dakka Marrakchia is the percussion music of Marrakech, performed by a group of men with drums and hand percussion and accompanied by choral chants. It builds slowly to a fast, joyful rhythm, and it is a sound of celebration in the city.
Sahraoui Music
Sahraoui, or Hassani, music is the music of the south of Morocco. It is played by both men and women, with the drum as the basic percussion instrument and the tidinit, a traditional string instrument, carrying the melody.
Instruments You Will Hear
| Instrument | What it is | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| Gimbri | Three-string bass lute | Gnawa |
| Qraqeb | Large metal castanets | Gnawa |
| Tbel | Large drum | Gnawa |
| Bendir | Frame drum | Amazigh music and celebrations |
| Lute, violin and rebab | String instruments | Andalusian music and Malhun |
| Tidinit | Traditional string instrument | Hassani music of the south |
Where to Hear Moroccan Music
- Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech. Every evening the main square fills with musicians, drummers and storytellers. UNESCO lists it as a cultural space of intangible heritage. See our Marrakech guide.
- Essaouira in June. The Gnaoua World Music Festival fills the town with free concerts on squares and beaches.
- Fes. The home of Andalusian music and the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music. See our Fes guide.
- Weddings and celebrations. Chaabi, reggada and dakka are the soundtrack of family celebrations across Morocco.
- Riads and restaurants. Many riads and restaurants invite Gnawa or Andalusian musicians in the evening. Ask your riad.
Moroccan Music FAQ
There is no single name. The main traditional styles are Amazigh folk music, Andalusian classical music (al-Ala), Malhun, Gnawa, chaabi, aita, reggada and Hassani music.
A spiritual music of West African origin, played on the gimbri bass lute with metal castanets called qraqeb. UNESCO added Gnawa to its intangible heritage list in 2019.
Jemaa el-Fna in Marrakech every evening, the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira every June, and in many riads and restaurants.
The gimbri, qraqeb, bendir frame drum, tbel drum, lute, violin, rebab and, in the south, the tidinit.
Popular Moroccan music that grew from folk traditions. It is the music of weddings and family celebrations.
Hear It for Yourself
The best way to understand Moroccan music is to hear it live, from Gnawa musicians in Essaouira to the storytellers and drummers of Jemaa el Fna in Marrakech. Tell us about your trip in the form below, and we will build a route that brings you close to the music and culture of Morocco.
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