Maghreb Project

Multi-instrumentalists, Hassan el Hadi (oud, banjo, vocals, composer), Fethi Nadjem (oud, guembri, violin, vocals, composer) and Abdel Wahab aka Haiba (oud, vocals, composer), with the renowned vocalist Maryem Tollar (qanun, vocals, composer), will bring to life the desert sounds of the Sahara region of North Africa. Crossing cultural borders from Marrakesh to Algiers to El Obeid to Cairo to Toronto, and weaving a tapestry of captivating sounds that celebrate their rich musical heritages. Despite their diverse backgrounds and traditions, these artists share a deep cultural connection through the language, stories and songs that define their North African heritage.

North Africa stretches from the Mediterranean to the southern boundary of the Sahara desert, and consists of the countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan and Egypt. The Maghreb region contains the largest population of Muslims in Africa, whom share the written language of Arabic with its different spoken dialects.

The genres of music found in North Africa that will be explored in the project include the traditional Saiyidi, haqibah, spiritual gnawa, Berber and Nubian folk songs, along with popular styles including chaabi, gharnati, Andalusian and rai.