The Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar (sometimes written as ...featuring Bachir Attar) are a collective of Jbala Sufi

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

musicians, serving as a modern representation of a centuries-old music tradition. The collective includes musicians from the village of Jajouka (sometimes spelled as Joujouka or Zahjouka), in the

Rif Mountains The Rif or Riff (, ), also called Rif Mountains, is a geographic region in northern Morocco. This mountainous and fertile area is bordered by Cape Spartel and Tangier to the west, by Berkane and the Moulouya River to the east, by the Mediterrane ...

of northern

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

. Most members are the sons of previous members, and adopt the surname ''Attar'' ("perfume maker").

History

The original Master Musicians of Joujouka were first documented by Western journalists in the early 1950s. In the early 1990s, the collective split into two factions, as first reported by visiting musician

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. One collective retained the name "The Master Musicians of Joujouka". Meanwhile, the faction led by Bachir Attar, whose father had led the group in the late 1960s, took on the name "The Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar". Bachir Attar's group attracted protests at concerts in the United Kingdom, and international journalists noted that the schism created discord in the collective's home village. Other journalists and fans conceded that both groups were working to preserve their ancient musical heritage. Bachir Attar's group released the album ''Apocalypse Across the Sky'' in 1992, produced by

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, ...

. ''Jajouka Between the Mountains'' followed in 1996, produced by

Tchad Blake Tchad Blake (born 1955) is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer and musician. A native of Baytown, Texas, he has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including Al Green, American Music Club, Ani DiFranco, Apartment 26, Arc ...

; and ''Master Musicians of Jajouka Featuring Bachir Attar'', produced by

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, was released in 2000. Their most recent album, ''The Road to Jajouka'', was released in 2014 and featured guest appearances by Ornette Coleman,

John Medeski Anthony John Medeski (born June 28, 1965) is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano ...

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, and many others.

Members

;Current * Bachir Attar *Mustapha Attar *Mohamed "Hadj" Attar *Amin Attar *Mohamed Attar The Mohkadem *Mohamed Attar Berdouz Jr. *Hamido Attar *Abdellah Bohkzar *Mokhtar Jaghdal *Abdelzarak "Hadj" Attar *Bouker Talha *Ahmed el Ballouti *Ahmed Bahkat ;Former *Larbi Hlalli Attar *Abdellah Bokzar *Tahir Bokzar *Abdeslam Bokzar *Mohamed El Hatmi *Ali Maidoubi *Ali Nachat

Discography

* ''Apocalypse Across the Sky'' (1992) * ''Jajouka Between the Mountains'' (1996) * ''Master Musicians of Jajouka Featuring Bachir Attar'' (2000) * ''Jajouka Live Vol. 1'' (2009) * ''The Road to Jajouka'' (2014) *''Dancing Under the moon'' (2022)

Film soundtracks and compilation albums

* ''Ornette: Made in America'' (1985, film sound track appearance) * ''The Sheltering Sky'' (1990, film soundtrack and film appearance) * ''Naked Lunch'' (1991, film soundtrack appearance) * ''Lost in the Translation: Axiom Ambient'' (1994) * ''The Cell'' (2000, film soundtrack appearance with The London Philharmonic Orchestra) * ''

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'' (2001) * ''Along Came Polly'' (2004, film soundtrack appearance) * ''Jajouka Something Good Comes To You - Master Musicians Of Jajouka Led By Bachir Attar'' (2021, La Huit)

References

External links

''The Rolling Stones in Morocco'', a segment of the BBC television film with Mick Jagger and Bachir Attar in Jajouka and Tangier, The Master Musicians of Jajouka. (YouTube.com)Interview with Bachir Attar in ''The Walrus'', Toronto (9 July 2008)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Master Musicians Of Jajouka Led By Bachir Attar, The Jajouka Moroccan musical groups Performers of Sufi music Trance music groups