HAMID MOUMEN - lead vocals / guembri
AZIZ FAYET - oud / percussions / lead vocals
FRÉDÉRIC FAURE - n’goni / percussions / back vocals
ILLYES FERFERA - alto sax / back vocals
PIERRE CHERBERO - keyboards / back vocals
ERIC OXANDABURU - bass / back vocals
VINCENT THOMAS - drums
“Gabacho Maroc’s unique blend of genres results in a breathtaking panorama of sound.”
In only 5 years of existence, Gabacho Maroc has already performed on the podiums of over 200 festivals in Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia. Critics are never short of praise to describe the group’s highly original style, perhaps best summarized in the words of Patrick Duval, the Director of Hauts de Garonne Festival: “Dialogue among Western, African and Oriental instruments has rarely been engaged so beautifully. Borrowing from world music, jazz, and traditional Gnawa music, their repertoire is variegated, festive and refined. This project, with endless horizons, helps to revive the concept of fusion.”
Gabacho Maroc’s first album, Bissara (Label Oued, 2014) earned the group a nomination for the African Music Awards in 2015. The single “Moussaoui” rapidly attained 50,000 views on YouTube, and was selected by the UK label World Music Network for its Rough Guide CD compilation, The Best Arabic Music You’ve Never Heard.
In January 2018, the group released its second album, Tawassol (which means “connection” in Arabic), on the 10h10 label (Cristal Groupe, distributed by Sony). Guest appearances are not lacking. The album features collaborations with Pascuala Ilabaca (Chile), Jean-Philippe Rykiel (France), Michel Ducau (from the Basque Country), and Ermanno Panta (Italy). Unanimously hailed by the French press (Télérama, M&C Le Son du Monde, Batteur Magazine, and radio stations Europe 1, France Inter, FIP, RFI), the album Tawassol has likewise garnered praise from critics all over Europe as well as overseas. The Transglobal World Music Chart singled out Tawassol as Best World Music Album for March 2018.