ESSAOUIRA 2010

The bags are packed, the tension is growing. We now have the line up and it's going to be fantastic: a mixture of gnawa, jazz, reagee, heavy metal, groups, individuals, world musicians, excellent Morocco Gnawa groups plus The Georgian State Ballet! (I saw them years ago, in Sunderland, and they are brilliant - as if they're floating on air) and The Armenian Navy Band (!).

The Festival always likes to throw in someone you would never expect and the ANB fits that bill exactly! The Festival will open wth a fusion of the Georgian State Ballet, the ANB and Maalem Mohamed Kouyou and Said Kouyou, which should be fascinating.

Other Gnawa groups include:-

*Maalem Hassan Boussou (maalem means master)

*Maalem Said Ouressan

*Maalem Abdellah Guinea

*Maalem Mahmoud Guinea

*Hamid El Kasri

Other Groups:-

*Daby Toure

*Ganga d'Agadir

*Step Africa

*Speed Caravan

Individual artists:-

*Patrice

*Fatima Tabaamrant

*Daniel Zimmerman

*Scott Kinley

*Mattiew Garrison

* Horacio El Negro

(these last three will play together)

Plus loads, loads more - I'm running out of time here.

Just to add that it looks as if we'll be getting press badges, so we can record close up and interview some of the artists.

LOOKS LIKE I'LL NEED A HOLIDAY AFTER THIS - WE'RE GOING TO BUSY, BUSY, BUSY !!!

Did someone mention the World Cup. What World Cup?

You may well never have heard of most/all of these musicians but hopefully, after we've posted our recordings, you'll have a better idea and want to find out more.